I'll Stand By You
by WriterGirl516
Summary: We all make mistakes in our lives and sometimes it is the choices we make that are those mistakes. Question is, once a mistake is made, are you ready to deal with the consequences?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimers:** I own none of the characters. Wish I did, but I don't. Bianca, Maggie, Jonathan, Jamie and anyone else you see who bears a name of a character from All My Children belongs to AMC and ABC. I am just using them for my own amusement, creativity and most of all for fun. The storyline however, that I create in this story is mine.

**Author's Note**: This story, I have set to take place around winter time, which in effect is January 2005. I'm figuring it's a few months ahead of the story we are watching now on AMC. Bianca FINALLY has Miranda back and well… as for how she feels about Babe, I haven't exactly developed that part in my head but I'm sure as the story progresses, it'll write itself in. For now, let's just let things go with the flow. The story itself may start out slow, but keep with me and I promise you something good. [When have I not?]

* * *

_**I'll Stand By You**_

_Oh, why you look so sad? The tears are in your eyes_

_Come on and come to me now_

_But don't, be ashamed to cry, let me see you through_

_'Cause I've been in the dark side too_

_When the night falls on you, and you don't know what to do_

_Nothing you confess, could make me love you less_

She tossed and turned in bed, beads of sweat forming at her brow. Bianca turned over in her bed to look at Maggie. She could tell that Maggie was once again trapped in a dream, one that had been invading her sleep for the fifth consecutive night. Being the concerned person that she was, Bianca had approached Maggie, asking if everything was alright, trying not to completely allude that she was aware of the restless sleep she had been enduring. But Maggie being Maggie, chalked it up to being stressed out by final exams.

And being the girlfriend and confidante that Bianca was, she did not believe a word of that for one second. Something was definitely bothering Maggie and deep inside, Bianca knew it was serious.

Maggie was jerked out of her dream, sitting up and heaving what was made out to be a sigh of relief. She brought her hands to her face, rubbing her eyes and wiping the sweat from her forehead. Maggie turned to look at the time and noticed Bianca sitting up in her bed, looking at her with concern.

"Bad dream?" Bianca asked.

"Yeah," Maggie laid back down in her bed. "You could say that."

Bianca made her way towards Maggie's bed, sitting down, she eyed her with worry, "Maggie, it's the fifth night in a row that you've been waking up in the middle of the night from a dream. Are you sure everything is okay?"

Maggie looked up into Bianca's eyes. The room was dim except for the moonlight that managed to seep its way into the room. They were worried eyes at best, reading her own, wanting, searching, and having a need to know what was going on inside her own head. Maggie wanted so much to say something but couldn't. Not after everything that had happened between them and how they had finally found their way back to each other, she just couldn't ruin it all.

"Maggie, are you alright?" Bianca asked Maggie again, hoping beyond hope she'd open up.

"I'm fine," Maggie said as her reply. Two simple words which were a complete lie. She may have wanted Bianca to believe that for now but in reality, she wasn't fine. In fact, she was far from it and until she had the answers she needed, Maggie would never know what that feeling would be like again.

Bianca brought her hand to Maggie's face, brushing away some hair, "You know how I am. I just care about you."

"I know," Maggie nodded.

"If it will make you feel better, I can sleep right here next to you," Bianca offered. "Maybe it'll chase that bad dream you keep having away. I mean, only if you want me to that is," her voice stumbled through the words.

She shifted over in bed, making room for Bianca, smiling slightly, "Sure, I'd like that."

Bianca crawled into bed next to Maggie. She wrapped her arms around Maggie, holding her close. It was the subtlety of the gesture that made Maggie feel safe and that was just what Bianca was doing. She wanted to be the port in Maggie's storm, whatever it was; she just wanted to let Maggie know that there was nothing to feel alone about.

"Just sleep, I'm right here," were the last words Maggie heard before closing her eyes, stumbling back into sleep.

Bianca found it hard to sleep; her eyes were focused on Maggie's sleeping figure. She watched her breathe steadily, hoping whatever dream she had before was not continuing itself in her head. Perhaps the one thing that had Bianca bothered was the lost look on Maggie's face. Yet, this wasn't just any lost look, it was one of uncertainty and perhaps fear.

Fear of what though? Was there something Maggie was not telling her?

That question among many others, floated around Bianca's head. There was definitely something off about Maggie but for the life of her, Bianca could not figure out what it was. It baffled her seemingly so because Maggie was her best friend, her soul mate and they knew each other so well. They finished each other's thoughts often and quite possibly always knew what the other would say even before speaking.

Lately, that wasn't the case with the two of them. Bianca and Maggie's hearts may have found their way back to each other but there was still something missing.

All it took was one look into the deep brown eyes of Maggie Stone and Bianca could see it, a small uncertainty coupled with fear. And it was up to Bianca to get Maggie to open up, she needed for Maggie to set whatever truth was bothering her, free.

* * *

Maggie opened her eyes and was blinded by the bright sunlight that shone through the window of the apartment. It was still taking a bit of getting used to again on Maggie's part with how Bianca liked to sleep with the shades open. After all, Maggie hadn't lived with Bianca for a good part of the year so she developed her own living habits. But now that they were back to living together, she made it a point to readjust to Bianca's living habits.

She slowly peeled herself from Bianca's embrace and got out of bed. Her eyes took one quick glance at the clock, noticing she had just enough time to take a shower and be out of the apartment before Bianca's alarm would go off. With that thought in mind, Maggie went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She let the clouds of steam fill the bathroom, enough that it would fog up the mirror so she could not see her own reflection anymore.

Maggie stood under the running water. She closed her eyes, letting the warm stream trickle down her face and her back. She breathed in the warmth and moisture of the air, as it relaxed her muscles and most of all her mind. These brief moments of being alone were what Maggie needed, a small escape from the outside world, from what was awaiting her on the other side of the bathroom door. From what was waiting for her outside of the apartment and most of all from what she was hiding from in her life, which was reality.

Unable to hide in the confines of a shower any longer, Maggie stepped out, put on her bathrobe and wrapped her hair in a towel. She looked up at the mirror, a sheet of moisture separating her from her own reflection. Wiping away that moisture, enough only to see her face, Maggie stared back at herself. She looked at her own reflection, her tired eyes and all. It was as clear as day that anyone could tell she hadn't been sleeping well lately and it was her eyes that said it all.

Maggie opened her drawer by the sink, her personal space in the bathroom. If there was one thing both girls drew the line at, it was the bathroom. Bianca and Maggie always respected each other when it came to personal space and their bathroom drawers were the most personal of all. A pact had been made between the girls that the one thing they could not share was whatever was stored in their drawers. It became sort of like their own medicine cabinet, being able to keep what they needed for bathroom use in their along with the trust that neither would ever look inside. That pact came with a small hitch however, and that was the only allowable excuse to look inside. The excuse being any that if any life threatening circumstances were to arise, then and only then may the other girl look inside.

Inside this drawer was quite possibly, the cause for all of Maggie's dreams.

Buried under all of her makeup, she pulled it out and looked at it. She blinked twice, making sure her eyes were still not deceiving her but still no luck. She held the object in her hands, thinking about the possibility and odds of it being right but still held out hope that maybe it was wrong.

After all, nothing is ever 100% correct, there is always that 99.9% chance of it being right leaving that .1% that it was wrong. Maggie of course was hoping for the latter rather than the former.

She slowly let out a sigh, placing what was in her hands back into her drawer, making sure it was buried under all of her makeup once again. She looked into the mirror once again. "Well, I guess today is it. Find out if it's for sure," Maggie spoke to herself, letting her hair down from the towel so she could dry it.

"What am I going to do if it is right?" were her last words before exiting the bathroom to get dressed.

* * *

Fully dressed, she walked into the adjoining room where Miranda lay in her crib fast asleep. Maggie gazed at the child for a moment, amazed at the innocence of the baby, wondering what kind of dream world the child was residing in at the moment.

Maggie sighed softly, reflecting back on the day Miranda was returned into Bianca's arms. After months and months of lies and betrayal by Babe, Krystal and even her own cousin David, she still found it hard to swallow at how the three of them had everyone fooled. To even think her own family, David, would do this to Bianca and her was unspeakable.

"Hey Miranda," Maggie whispered. "I hope you're sleeping well, dreaming those dreams that babies dream. I haven't had much sleep these past couple of nights. You see, I've been having these bad dreams and they just keep waking me up in the middle of the night. But you know, your mommy is sure good at one thing," Maggie smiled, thinking about Bianca and how she had always managed to console her. "She's good at making you feel better after waking up so suddenly. Yeah, she is. So don't ever be afraid to cry out for your mommy okay? She always knows how to make the hurt go away."

Maggie paused for a moment, her index finger caressing Miranda's soft cheek, "But somehow, my dreams aren't the kind she can save me from right now. Simply because the only person that can save me is myself."

Pulling up the baby blanket to Miranda's chest, Maggie leaned into the crib and kissed the darling child on the forehead. Closing the door to the nursery, Maggie grabbed her coat and bag, ready to start another day.

* * *

Maggie managed to slip out of the apartment, leaving Bianca still sound asleep in her bed. But her narrow escape would not go unnoticed as she ran into Jamie in the hallway.

"Hey Maggie. You're up early," Jamie slung his backpack onto his shoulder.

"Yeah, I have umm... I've got something to take care of before class," Maggie shrugged.

"Oh alright," Jamie eyed her suspiciously.

Maggie's eyes shifted uncontrollably, glancing down at the hallway then back to Jamie, "I… I have to go." She began to move.

"Maggie wait."

"What?" she looked back.

Jamie saw Maggie's defensiveness and decided to back off, "Nothing, just drive safely. The first snow fell last night so the roads might be a little slick."

"Thanks," she replied before hurrying down the stairs, leaving Jamie in the hallway, bewildered look on his face.

* * *

Maggie sat in her chair, her leg tapping uncontrollably due in part to nervousness. She had tried to keep calm but with every waking thought cruising around in her mind, it was hard to keep her nerves in check.

For once in her life, she was early. Early for her appointment with Maria Grey, who she spoke to the day before about coming in. Maggie knew full well that Maria was not practicing in the specified field she needed to see someone in but somehow, going to Maria Grey seemed like her only option. Having the added benefit of knowing her was what pushed her to speak to Maria.

And so Maria agreed and saw Maggie, fulfilling her request without any question. It was least she could do for her, being as how she was a friend of Bianca's, whom she cared about very much.

Maggie's leg tapping continued incessantly, almost to a point that it even bothered her. Her eyes remained focused on her hands until Maria entered the room, sitting down behind her desk. She placed Maggie's file down and opened up the folder so that everything was laid out in front of her. Her eyes went from looking at the file and up at Maggie.

Maggie sat opposite of Maria, biting her bottom lip. "So, ummmm… did you get the test results back yet?" her voice was filled with apprehension and unsure ness.

"Yes, I had put a rush on it and received the results a few minutes ago. I wanted to go over them myself before I came in here to speak to you," Maria's face became filled with concern.

"Before you say anything, I just want to thank you for agreeing to see me," Maggie sat up in her chair. "I mean, I would have gone to David but well, you know him being my cousin and everything that's happened with Miranda and all. I'm still finding it hard to even tolerate the sight of him."

Maria closed the file and came over from behind her desk and sat next to Maggie. "No need to thank me," she took hold of Maggie's hands. "I know how hard this is for you and how you might be feeling a whole world of confused feelings but I glad you came to me."

Maggie's gaze shifted downward toward the floor. She couldn't hold any eye contact with Maria, knowing what her next words would be even before they were spoken. Her heart was beating so hard, it felt like it was about to leap out of her chest and her palms became sweaty.

"Think you can just tell me what the results are?"

Maria inhaled slowly, lifting Maggie's chin so that she could look into her eyes, "The results came back positive."

Maggie's gaze fell to the floor once again. She sighed and fell back in her chair, letting go of Maria's hands in the process.

"Maggie, I just want to tell you that since you came to me, I'm going to take you on as one of my patients now. Anything you say to me will remain confidential. No one will know, unless you say something."

With clenched fists, Maggie's eyes became filled with a combination of emotions. Anger, sorrow and fear filled her deep brown eyes, "Jonathan Lavery…"

"I'm sorry, what Maggie? What about Ryan's brother?" Maria asked.

Maggie looked up at Maria, "Nothing… Umm, thanks for… you know I don't even know what to say or do anymore." She buried her face in her hands, trying to hide the tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes. "This just can't be possible," she said, wiping away the tears that had fallen and stood up.

"Maggie, if you need anything, you know you can always come to me," Maria reminded her.

"Thanks," she hugged Maria. "I have to go."

"If you need to talk, I'm here. You have time to think about it. But do come see me next week okay?"

"Alright" she replied.

"You're not alone in this. You have a lot of people who love you and will help you through this," Maria watched Maggie put on her coat.

Maggie picked up her bag and buttoned up. "I know," she smiled slightly before leaving Maria's office.

* * *

The frosty air nipped at Maggie's cheeks, yet somehow it didn't bother her one bit. Her mind hadn't stopped racing ever since she left Maria Grey's office. She made her way through the park, thoughts clouding in her head and what choices she had to make next. Her aimless walking soon ended when she arrived at the boathouse. Walking up the steps, she sat down on the bench and sighed.

"No way," she repeated over and over. "No way, no way, no way… this can't be possible."

Maggie buried her face in her hands, "How could I have been so stupid."

Sitting there alone, she contemplated the past couple of months, the choices she had made without even one second's thought about the consequences. Maggie's eyes filled with tears as she realized the mistakes she made.

She lifted her face from her hands and cast her gaze across the lake. "What am I going to do now? I can't believe this is happening to me," she said out loud, not having any idea that someone else had been listening to her.

"What can't you believe?" said a booming voice emerging from the bushes.

Maggie's eyes filled with anger at the sight before her. It took every ounce of self-restraint in her body not to leap at him.

"Jonathan…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"_Good morning Pine Valley! And what a wonderful winter morning it is. I'm looking out the window of the studio and it looks like the first snow has fallen. That's always a sight to see in Pine Valley, isn't it? And now, let's go to Jimmy who has the traffic report for this morning…"_

Bianca's hand reached out from under blankets to turn off her alarm clock. She exhaled slowly, "Maggie, you'd better wake up. Traffic might be hell today." When Bianca didn't hear a response, she opened her eyes and saw her companion in bed was missing. "Maggie?"

Her attention was soon brought to the baby monitor, the sound of a baby cooing coming from its little speaker. Bianca soon got out of bed and made her way into Miranda's room where she saw her daughter, wide awake and plastered with a smile.

"Hi there cutie," Bianca reached into the crib and picked up Miranda. "You're one to be smiling this early in the day." She let Miranda grab her index finger. "Did you sleep okay? Did you?" Bianca asked, rocking her daughter up and down, eliciting small giggles from the baby girl. "You probably want some breakfast huh? Yes, you look like you want something to eat. Why don't we go into the kitchen and fix you up some baby food."

Bianca held Miranda securely in her arms as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a small jar of peaches. She sat down at the table and tied the baby bib around Miranda's neck, so as not to create a mess, which in reality was an unavoidable thing. Bianca took hold of the baby spoon and scooped up some fruit and fed it to her daughter.

"Like it?" she asked her, watching Miranda's face contort in a few different ways before swallowing. Bianca was amused, "Yeah, I know… it's peaches processed for babies. Someday, I promise you will get to taste what real peaches are like."

Miranda, being the innocent baby she was, could only giggle at what Bianca was saying her.

After about a half hour of feeding, Bianca took Miranda to be washed up and dressed. "You sure are quite the angel aren't you?" she asked her daughter while getting dressed. Miranda lay on her back on Bianca's bed, her eyes casually observing her mother, while jiggling her rattle.

As Bianca got dressed, with a close eye on her daughter, she couldn't help but wonder why Maggie had slipped out this morning without letting Bianca know she was leaving or even leaving a note. It was out of the ordinary for Maggie to do something like that, neglecting to let anyone know she was leaving. In fact, it caught Bianca by surprise since their normal routine lately consisted of Maggie giving her a goodbye kiss on the cheek or if she was in a real hurry, she'd leave a note.

Yet, this time around, Maggie did neither.

Bianca sat down on her bed, right next to Miranda and thought for a moment. She knew Maggie's schedule by heart, due in part to the fact that Bianca wanted to know when and where she could reach her just in case of any emergency that arose. Bianca glanced at the clock and noticed the time. She saw how it was only 10 in the morning and also knew that Maggie's classes didn't start until noon.

"Why would she leave so early? Finals were done ages ago and it's too early for midterms," Bianca thought out loud. "What is up with you lately Maggie?"

Bianca reached for the cordless phone and dialed Maggie's cell phone. She sat there and let it ring but soon enough it was accompanied by an echoed ring. Bianca hung up and noticed Maggie's cell phone on the night stand.

"Great, you forgot your phone too," she mumbled to herself. Bianca shifted her gaze toward Miranda and smiled, "How would you like it if you spent a little bit of time with your Aunt Kendall today?" She dialed the cordless again, hoping her sister had some free time.

"Hey Kendall, it's Bianca. I was wondering if you'd like to spend some time with your favorite niece today," she didn't even have to wait for a response, as Kendall agreed right off the bat. "Okay, I'll bring her by around eleven. Sound good to you? Well, I have some errands to run and I'd rather not take her with me in the cold weather. Alright, see you then."

Bianca smiled down at her darling daughter who was busy playing with her feet. "To your Aunt Kendall's you go. And as for me, I'm going to bring Maggie her cell phone and see if she wants to grab some lunch before class. So let's get you ready," she said, placing Maggie's cell phone into her bag.

"_It's not like Maggie to forget her phone, what is going on with her?"_

* * *

"Jonathan," Maggie mumbled under her breath.

Jonathan walked up the boathouse steps and sat on the bench perpendicular to the one Maggie was sitting on. He could tell that she was becoming visibly uncomfortable at his presence. He never meant to make her feel that way but it was obvious with everything that had happened between them, Jonathan knew that she had every right to feel that way.

The both of them sat in silence, Maggie's gaze fixed upon Willow Lake and Jonathan's eyes remaining focused on Maggie.

"I saw you walking through the…" Jonathan was interrupted mid-sentence.

"Why are you here?"

"I said I saw you walking through the park."

Maggie's defense mechanisms kicked in, "I thought I told you that I never wanted to see your face again. I thought I told you stay away."

"Maggie please..." Jonathan stood up and took a step toward her.

Maggie shifted back, on the bench when she saw Jonathan take a step toward her. She sat up right away and looked him square in the eyes, trying not to let him intimidate her. Physically, Maggie knew she could defend herself but emotionally, she just didn't want to be around him.

"Don't even think about taking another step," she warned him.

Jonathan stepped back and sat back down on the bench. He could tell that Maggie was serious and decided that it would be better if he didn't move closer. "Why are you being this way?" he asked her. "I told you that I was sorry and I didn't mean for all that to happen."

Hearing Jonathan say that he was sorry didn't make Maggie feel any better. In fact, it only caused her anger toward him to build. "You lied to me," she looked at him firmly.

"And I said I was sorry."

"You manipulated me," Maggie's voice became sterner.

"I never meant for it to happen that way," Jonathan knew that he was losing this battle.

The more Jonathan tried to defend himself for his misdeeds the more livid it made Maggie. "You made me turn against my own best friend!" she shouted at Jonathan. "And the sick part was that you knew what you were doing all along. You wanted it to be that way, so that I would trust you and only you. And you know what, I can't believe I was gullible enough to even put my faith in you. What was I thinking?"

Jonathan didn't know how to reply to what Maggie had just said. Deep down, she was right but he was too stubborn to let her words sink in. Jonathan truly believed that he knew what he was doing was for the good of everyone, but in the end, it only proved to hurt more than help.

"To even think that I had feelings for you," she mumbled. "I did at one point, but when I realized your true colors, I began to regret every moment I spent with you."

"I never meant for it to be that way. I swear," Jonathan tried to salvage whatever he could with Maggie, hoping that maybe they'd be able to be civil with each other but it wasn't working. "And I'm sorry for what I did."

Maggie couldn't keep eye contact with Jonathan as he spoke but when he said the word sorry for what was the millionth time, she couldn't help but laugh sarcastically, "Sorry? You're sorry? Too little too late Jonathan." Feeling a surge of adrenaline course through her body, Maggie stood up, walking toward Jonathan. "You're sorry for what? For messing up people's lives? You want to say you're sorry because you feel guilty about what you did? What do you feel guiltier about Jonathan? The fact that you shot your own brother or the fact that you have so much anger inside you that you never knew you were capable of doing what you did?"

Jonathan had no words to what Maggie had just said. Words couldn't begin to describe the expression on his face as he looked up at Maggie, her eyes filled with anger toward him. He saw the regret in her eyes and knew that it was because of him that she was all wound up. He knew what he did to her and never let it slip from his mind.

"Maggie I…"

"You know, just leave me alone. Please…" Maggie turned her back. "Will you just leave?!"

"You heard her, leave," Jamie came up the boathouse steps, looking right at Jonathan.

Jonathan ignored Jamie's presence, "Maggie I just…"

Jamie shoved Jonathan back onto the bench, "Leave now or I'll just have to make you leave." He cracked his knuckles in front of Jonathan's face.

Jonathan stood up, giving Jamie a look. He tried to step toward Maggie but Jamie stepped in his way.

"Did you not hear me the first time?"

Without any words, Jonathan fixed his coat and left the boathouse.

Jamie turned around and faced Maggie, who he saw sitting on the bench, a lost look on her face. He went over and sat down next to her, he placed his arm around her shoulder.

Since they were close friends, Maggie normally would lean into his embrace but this time around, it wasn't the case. This caused Jamie to be a bit alarmed. He turned to look at Maggie, trying to get her to make eye contact but wasn't successful.

"Hey Mags, you alright?" he asked.

Maggie bit her bottom lip, not wanting to look up at Jamie. "Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled under her breath.

"Was he bothering you?"

"I'm fine… I can take care of myself, thanks," Maggie answered defensively. She reached down to grab her bag when Jamie took hold her hand. She stared at it for a moment before finally shifting her gaze up to him.

"You didn't answer my question," he searched Maggie's eyes in hopes they would say something to him.

Maggie pulled her hand away and picked up her bag. "I have to go. I'm going to be late for class," she ran out of the boathouse.

"Maggie!" Jamie shouted after her.

She didn't even turn back, she just kept running. Maggie was running from every concerned voice that was around her and the people who cared. And the fact that Jonathan approached her didn't make her day any better. It only proved to make it worse and the longer she kept her secrets bottled up, the harder it would become for Maggie to open up to anyone.

* * *

"She just left here, saying she had class," Jamie spoke into his cell phone, Bianca on the other end of the call. "I didn't even get a chance to tell her that afternoon classes were cancelled."

"Jamie, has she said anything to you," Bianca's forehead wrinkled as she sat in the Student Union, hoping she would run into Maggie. "She's just been so off lately. Like today, she left without saying anything. She forgot her cell phone. Something just isn't right, I can feel it."

Jamie paced the floors of the boathouse, "You could say that. I mean, Maggie just hasn't been herself. I noticed it this morning when I ran into her in the hallway."

"You saw her this morning? What time was that?"

"Umm, it was around nine o'clock," Jamie sat down on the bench. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Maggie doesn't have class until noon and on those days, she normally sleeps in," Bianca replied while her eyes wandered around the Union, making sure she didn't miss Maggie. "But then again, Maggie hasn't been sleeping much lately either."

"I noticed that," Jamie thought back to this morning and the encounter in the hallway. "And she was in a hurry then too. She couldn't even maintain any eye contact with me, just like before. I mean, before she ran out of here."

"And she hasn't said anything to you?"

"None"

"I just can't figure this all out," Bianca sat back in her chair. "I mean, I know Maggie so well but the past few days, it's like she's physically around but she's really not. You know what I mean?"

"I totally get you," Jamie looked at his watch. "It's almost noon. If Maggie has no idea that classes were cancelled, she should be making a stop there instead."

"Alright… hey Jamie?"

"Yeah Bianca?"

"Think you can keep an eye on Maggie also?" she asked him. "I mean, if I can't get her to open up to me, I figure you're the next best thing."

Jamie nodded, "No problem... will do."

"Thanks," Bianca hung up. She sat back once again and sighed. Her eyes continued to look around the Union, hoping Maggie would come through the doors at any second.

The conversation with Jamie now furthered her own suspicions that something was going on with Maggie. Problem is, she didn't know what. It pained her heart to even think that Maggie was dealing with something all by herself. And if she was, Bianca wanted to help. But the problem at the current moment being was that if Maggie couldn't open up, then how would she know how to help her?

* * *

"Great, just great… class cancelled," she commented to herself standing at the doors to the lecture hall. "My day just keeps getting better and better."

Maggie began to walk away, wondering where she would go next. She dug her hand into her coat and noticed how her cell phone wasn't inside. Refraining from making a derogatory comment, she decided to keep quiet. Instead, she let her thoughts run through her head again, trying not to dwell on her horrible morning.

Arriving at her car, Maggie stuck the key into the ignition, turning the car over. She flipped on the heat and sighed softly. It definitely wasn't a good day for Maggie. Just when she thought that it was bad enough after receiving some life changing news, the presence of Jonathan only added salt to what was already an open wound, hurting her more and more as each moment passed.

Deciding that it was doing her no good to be sitting in the parking lot alone in her car, Maggie made the choice to drive home with hopes that Bianca was out with Miranda. She hoped to have the apartment to herself, possibly even catch a nap or some semblance of sleep. If there would be one thing Maggie would try to achieve today, it would be sleep.

Making it home safe and sound, after having parked her car and she made her way up to the apartment. Shutting the door behind her, Maggie listened carefully for voices, wondering if she was alone or not. After about 5 seconds of silence, she could tell that she was indeed the only one home.

Maggie walked into the bedroom and sat down on her bed. She slipped off her boots and brought her feet up. Lying down, Maggie's head fell onto the pillows and closed her eyes. She tried to clear her mind of all the events that had occurred in her short day so far. Her appointment with Maria, the results, her encounter with Jonathan at the boathouse and Jamie's concern, she tried to block all that from her mind as she lay in bed.

For a split second, it did work for Maggie, giving her a source of solace for what she believed to be at least a minute. But after the minute of solace, Maggie knew deep inside her head and her heart that she couldn't keep it to herself anymore. Sooner or later, she'd need to make some life altering choices. She had to make the kind of choices that weren't to be taken lightly. Yet, the one thing Maggie didn't want to do was let those thoughts burden her mind, at least for now.

"_Why can't I just catch a break? Even if it's for a little bit, all I want for now is to sleep."_

But even if Maggie slept, she knew that the same problem she tried to block out would still be there when she woke up.

"_You're not alone in this. You have a lot of people who love you and will help you through this."_

Maria's voice echoed in Maggie's head. She pulled one of her pillows close and held it tight. Tears that had formed at the edges of her eyes, began to stream down her face.

"_How and where do I even begin to deal with all of this?" _

That was Maggie's last conscious thought as she drifted off into sleep, the tears still trickling down.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Son of a…" Jonathan entered the condo, tossing his coat across the room, nearly ambushing his brother Ryan with a bowl of popcorn in the process.

Ryan looked from the coat to Jonathan, "I take it that you've been having a bad day so far?"

"I just don't understand why she is acting this way," Jonathan plopped down in the armchair, running his hand through his hair.

"Why is who acting what way?" Ryan raised his eyebrow, apparently confusing himself with his own question. "Okay, that didn't sound right."

Jonathan looked up at his brother, "Maggie, I'm talking about Maggie."

Ryan sat across from his brother. He pushed the coat aside, letting out a short laugh, "Hockett, you need to get over her. If you think your ego is bruised because she's with Bianca, think again little bro. Those two have been in love with each other for a long time."

"Yeah, I totally get that. But all I was trying to do was see if we could at least be friends," he leaned to grab some popcorn from the bowl that Ryan placed on the table.

"Can I give you a word of advice Jonathan?"

Jonathan swallowed the popcorn in his mouth before answering, "Sure."

"Move on… I know you fell hard for her but you need to realize that she doesn't love you like she loves Bianca," Ryan tried to knock some sense into his younger brother.

Jonathan sighed, a small tinge of frustration could be felt, "You have no idea of the kind of feelings we shared for each other." He said those words confidently, in an effort to block out a certain few tense moments in the relationship. The moments he knew that were probably the reason for Maggie being so cold to him in the first place.

"You know what little bro, you are hopeless," he tossed popcorn at Jonathan. "There's a whole world of girls out there and you seem to be stuck on Maggie Stone. Why?"

"Like I told you Ry, what we had was special," Jonathan leaned back in his chair.

* * *

Maggie appeared to be sleeping somewhat peacefully in bed. She wasn't tossing and turning like the previous nights. Rather, she lay in bed, her arms wrapped around a pillow, acting as if it was her security blanket.

Although it may have seemed like Maggie was sleeping peacefully, her mind other the hand was a different story as it was caught within a dream once again.

"_Maggie? What does it feel like to fall in love?" Jonathan draped his arm over Maggie, still lying in bed with her. He showered the back of her neck with small kisses._

"_What do you mean?" Maggie turned to look at him._

"_I mean, this," he pulled her close. "You and me right now. Is this what it feels like to fall in love? I know, it sounds like a stupid question coming from me."_

_Maggie sat up, wrapping the blanket around her upper body. She thought for a moment about what she wanted to say. But when it came to talking about love, she wasn't exactly the expert in the subject. Still, she gave it the old college try, "Loving someone makes you feel like you can say yes to the world. And not just because you can, but -- well, you don't really have a choice. You know, you can do anything. You can try anything. It's letting that someone in, you know, so much that they're a part of you and you can -- it's like they're always there."_

_Jonathan paid close attention Maggie's words, not wanting to interrupt. _

"_You can always feel their touch and hear their voice and see that crazy smile that lights up your day. It's like you can't stop saying "yes" and "more, please." You know, you just can't get enough of them and life and everything, and your stomach -- it turns over and over."_

"_That sounds like too much whiskey," he chuckled._

_Maggie laughed slightly, "It's like you lose your inhibitions. You do, because loving someone makes you feel that you can say "I love you" knowing that they might not say it back. And it makes you say "I want to touch you" when you don't know what comes next."_

"_And then?"_

"_But that's, like, the greatest part. It's the rush, it's the high. You're taking a chance. You say "yes," or you never hear those three words. You never have that kiss. You know, those are your options," she smiled at him, bringing her hand to his face._

"_Wow," Jonathan blinked his eyes. "That's umm… wow."_

"_I know, it sounded cheesy," Maggie laid back down next to him. "I'm never good at talking about this kind of stuff."_

"_Maggie, you don't get it," he rested his elbow on the pillow so that he could rest his head on his hand. "I've had… I've had these feelings you were describing."_

"_Oh?"_

"_Yes," he replied_

"_But… but I thought you said that you didn't do love," Maggie still remembered his exact words from BJ's. _

"_I'm beginning to have these feelings for you."_

Maggie shifted in bed, still sleeping and clutching the pillow in her arms. The images that were playing in her head became awry. Her forehead tightened, obviously drifting into some tense moments.

"_I… I was the one who shot Ryan," Jonathan flat out admitted to Maggie. _

_Maggie's eyes became wide, horrified at the confession she had just heard. She didn't know how to respond or even what to say, "Jonathan… how… why…"_

"_I don't know why I did it," he buried his face in his hands. "I just… I just had this… all this anger pent up inside me. I wanted to make him feel the pain that my sister and I had to go through growing up, for all those years after he left us."_

"_But Jonathan… this is serious. We need to tell someone," Maggie was about to reach for the cordless phone when Jonathan grabbed her wrist with his firm grip._

"_We can't! You can't" he still had a good hold of Maggie's wrist._

_Maggie's eyes were focused on her wrist wincing in pain, "Owww… Jonathan you're hurting me."_

_He didn't even realize that he still gripped Maggie's hand. Immediately he let go, "I'm sorry… I guess I don't know my own strength."_

"_Yeah, you sure don't" Maggie massaged her wrist._

"_No one can know," almost sounding like a verbal warning from Jonathan. "You cannot breathe a word of this to anyone."_

"_I don't get it," Maggie sat back. "You were so gung ho about finding out who shot your brother and it was… it was you all along?" whispering the last phrase._

"_I… I needed for someone to take the fall," Jonathan said defensively. "I regret ever doing it but no one can know. Not even Ryan. Please Maggie…" he knelt down in front of her. "Do this for me, don't say anything, pretend like you never heard me say it all in the first place," he cupped her cheek, leaning into kiss her._

_Maggie hesitated, "I…but… fine, I won't say anything." She gave into him, letting his lips touch her own. Maggie knew in the back of her mind that she was lying for him and she couldn't help but do it. She had genuine feelings for him, or at least Maggie thought she had those feelings. _

_Jonathan stood up and took Maggie's hand, "Come on, it's getting late. Stay with me tonight, please?"_

_Once again, Maggie hesitated. She still had to finish studying for an exam but decided to stay with Jonathan. She was confident enough that she had all the information down pat. Maggie dropped her bag and followed where Jonathan was leading her, straight to his bedroom, the door closing gently behind them._

* * *

Kendall carried Miranda in her arms as she and Bianca walked down the hallway. "As much as I hate to say this Bianca, but I think little Miranda here takes after our mother," she smiled at her niece.

Bianca rolled her eyes, "What makes you say that?"

"Because in every mirror we've passed, she can't help but smile at herself," Kendall laughed. "This baby is going to be such a heartbreaker."

"Kendall…" Bianca said as she fished in her purse for the keys. "Miranda is her own person and if she takes after Mom, then I guess she was lucky enough to inherit the beautiful Kane genes."

"You do have a point," Kendall looked at Miranda's smiling face.

"I wonder if Maggie is home," Bianca unlocked the door, pushing it open gently. She walked inside and noticed Maggie's bag and coat on the couch. Kendall followed in after Bianca, holding Miranda in her arms.

"Looks like she is," Kendall spoke softly. "I'm going to put her down in her crib. Little one here looks like she wants to take a nap."

"Okay," Bianca nodded.

Kendall brought her niece into the nursery and laid her down in her crib. As soon as Miranda's head touched the pillow, she closed her eyes and drifted into slumber almost automatically, giving Kendall no trouble at all.

"Wow, that was easy," she said to herself. "Sleep tight little one."

Bianca heard the nursery door close and turned her head seeing Kendall peeking into the other bedroom.

"What's so interesting?" Bianca spoke softly.

Kendall closed the door and made her way to the couch, sitting down next to Bianca. "I was just looking at Maggie. She's sound asleep in there, I don't know if you knew that."

"Good," Bianca breathed a sigh of relief. "She needs the rest. Maggie hasn't been sleeping well the past couple of nights."

"Why?"

Bianca put down what she had been playing with and wondered, "You know, I don't know the answer to that question myself. I mean, you'd think, with how close I am with her. Well, we're even closer now and I haven't been able to figure out why she's been having trouble sleeping."

"Maybe she's stressed out?" Kendall suggested.

"It's only the beginning of the semester," Bianca pointed out. "I mean, I asked her if anything was wrong and she told me finals stressed her out, but those were done and over with eons ago. And what makes me even more concerned is that she's told me the reason for her lack of sleep is because of some dreams."

Kendall's interest was piqued more and more as she listened to Bianca speak. "You think there's something more huh?"

"I don't think it, I feel it Kendall," Bianca voiced her concern; she glanced at the door before bringing her full attention to her sister. "Something is really bothering Maggie and I keep having this sinking feeling that it's serious. Call it some sixth sense or something."

"You ever try just sitting down with Maggie and getting her to just open up?"

"I would try but lately, she's just been really closed off to everyone. It's almost like Maggie's become withdrawn," as Bianca thought more and more about Maggie, it only increased her worry.

Kendall sat for a moment, her mind trying to make sense of what she had just been told. One thought did cross her mind but she was afraid to even mention it. "I have one thought," she spoke. "But I'm almost afraid to even put the possibility out there. I mean, I could be wrong and it just sounds like a long shot and so not Maggie."

"What is it Kendall? Just say it."

She hesitated, knowing how much her sister cared about Maggie dearly. Bianca and Maggie had been through so much already to be together and possibility that crossed Kendall's mind was one thing that would put a strain on the relationship.

"Kendall, just tell me," Bianca pleaded. "I want to know what you're thinking."

"I don't know about this, but with the way you said she was acting withdrawn," Kendall tried to find a gentler way of putting her thought out. "Maybe Maggie is doing drugs?"

* * *

Maggie's forehead remained tensed, still dreaming in her sleep. She turned over to her right side, her eyes dancing underneath her eyelids. It was apparent that Maggie's dreams were far from being over.

_Maggie lay in bed with Jonathan, her eyes were open and alert while Jonathan was sound asleep next to her. The thoughts and words that she heard earlier still echoed through her mind, each moment still vivid in her head. She couldn't believe that Jonathan shot his own brother. It rattled her to even have knowledge of that fact and not be able to go to anyone with it. _

_Maggie's heart became heavy, realizing all the moments she blasted Bianca for questioning her relationship with Jonathan. She remembered all the times she went off on her and now was regretting she ever did. It pained her to know that she had turned on her own best friend, all for his sake._

_Jonathan had put his trust in her and to go behind his back and betray it was something that she wouldn't do or couldn't do. Maggie brought her right hand closer to her face. She cradled her wrist, it still feeling a bit sore from when Jonathan had held it tight within his grip from earlier. _

_Maggie's eyes wandered to the clock on his nightstand, glancing at the time and then to her clothes which were piled on the floor. Wide awake, she wanted to get out of bed, get dressed and do some last minute studying._

_She slowly began to move but wasn't successful. Jonathan had turned over and draped his arm over Maggie's waist, pulling her close. Not wanting to hesitate, Maggie gave in and surrendered into his embrace, closing her eyes hoping that she'd at least get some peaceful sleep for the rest of the night._

* * *

"Don't even think that," Bianca quickly dismissed Kendall's thought. "Maggie isn't doing drugs."

"What makes you think that she isn't?" Kendall still did not want to rule out the possibility.

Bianca knew Maggie well enough that she'd never do drugs. "Because Maggie knows the effects of what drugs can do. Her mother is the example," she pointed out. "She saw what it did to her mom and I guarantee you that Maggie does not want to follow that kind of legacy."

"You bring up a good point," Kendall replied, her eyes looked at the clock on the wall. "I'm gonna head home."

"Alright," Bianca stood up and hugged her sister. "Thank you for taking care of Miranda today. You're a life saver."

Kendall smiled, "Anytime. You know I'd never pass up a chance to spend time with my darling niece. Hey, before I go, think I can use your bathroom?"

"Sure go right ahead," Bianca nodded.

"Thanks," she hurried toward it. "Knew I shouldn't have had the third diet pepsi."

Bianca rolled her eyes, hearing Kendall's last remark.

* * *

Kendall flushed the toilet. She buckled her belt, looking at her own reflection. Noticing how her hair looked a bit windblown, she wanted to brush it so that it looked less like a mop and more like something that was controlled. She saw the drawers before her and chuckled, "Great, you'd think they'd label these things. Bianca won't mind if I used her hair brush."

Taking a wild guess at which one was Bianca's, Kendall pulled open one of the drawers and began searching through it. Little did she know that it was Maggie's drawer that she was sifting through.

"Geez, I thought you were a bit more organized when it came to storing your makeup Binx," Kendall mumbled to herself, continuing to pore through the drawer. As she pushed the makeup aside, Kendall's eyes grew wide when she came upon a shocking discovery.

"What the???" she said quietly. "Pregnancy test? What is Bianca doing with… oh my god, Maggie…this is Maggie's drawer… shit…"

"Hey Kendall? You okay in there?" Bianca knocked on the door.

Kendall turned her head, "Yeah, I was just looking for your hair brush, I need to borrow it."

"Oh, well my drawer is the one on the left," Bianca replied.

"Okay, thanks," she answered. "Now she tells me." Kendall held the box in her hand and scanned its contents. She noticed how it was open and decided to look inside. She pulled out the pregnancy test, noticing the color of the results. Comparing it with the colors on the box, Kendall's eyes grew wide at the revelation. "Positive…" she blinked twice to make sure that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Again, she saw the same as before.

"Positive… oh my god… Maggie…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Maggie tossed and turned in bed once again, her breathing was steady, inhaling and exhaling calmly. The threatening images in her head had begun to dissipate. But to say that the images began to disappear didn't mean that the dreams had stopped. In Maggie's sleep, they continued.

_Jonathan sat on the bench outside of the lecture hall where Maggie's class was held. He waited patiently, checking his watch periodically with hopes that her class would let out early. The autumn weather was finally upon Pine Valley and he wanted to take full advantage of it._

_A rush of students came rushing out of the lecture hall's doors, class finally being dismissed. Jonathan stood up from his spot and leaned against the wall, hoping that Maggie would be surprised to see him._

_Maggie came out of the lecture hall, walking with Bianca. She had her sleeves all the way down past her wrists and practically covering her hands. The two of them were sharing some small conversation when Bianca looked over to her left and noticed someone leaning against the wall, eyeing them. _

_Turning her head, Maggie noticed the familiar face leaning against the wall, hiding behind his sunglasses. _

"_Looks like he wanted to surprise you?" Bianca asked wearily. She never did fully trust Jonathan, even though he was Ryan's younger brother._

"_I guess," Maggie replied unsure. "I'll umm… I'll call you later. I have to go."_

"_Okay," Bianca said in a way that sounded almost disconcerting. "I guess I'll see you around."_

"_Yeah… see you around," Maggie said before walking toward Jonathan._

_Bianca didn't even have time to say goodbye as she watched Maggie leave her. _

"_Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked him, obviously surprised to see him on the PVU campus._

"_I thought that maybe I could… maybe you and I could well, get away for the afternoon?" Jonathan took of his sunglasses and stuffed them into his pocket. He took hold of Maggie's hands, "I was hoping I could make up for how stupid I acted toward you last night."_

"_Oh"_

"_Yeah…" he nodded. "I just saw you walking out with Bianca. You didn't say anything to her did you?" his eyes dug deep into Maggie's eyes wondering what both girls had been talking about._

_Maggie's right hand pulled away from Jonathan's. She brought it to the back of her neck, revealing the ace bandage that was wrapped around it. "No, I didn't say anything."_

"_Oh, okay good," Jonathan caught sight of Maggie's wrist, "You okay? I mean, is your wrist okay?"_

_Maggie didn't even realize what she was doing. Quickly, she brought her hand down and pulled her sleeve over it. "Yeah, it's just sore," she hoped that no one else she knew was around and saw what Jonathan had just seen. "It'll heal."_

_Jonathan leaned in and kissed Maggie. "I'm sorry, I really am," he said sincerely, bringing Maggie's right hand to his face and kissing the bandaged area. "Come on, let me make it up to you."_

"_Jonathan, I have class…"_

"_Skip class, just this once. Come on, for me?" he gave Maggie a puppy dog look. "It's a beautiful day and I really want to spend it with you."_

_Maggie stood for a moment, debating on what she should do. She knew that if she missed her next class, it would mean losing a point because of her lack of attendance. Lately, her grades had begun slipping because of her increased time with Jonathan. Her eyes wandered away from Jonathan's for a moment as she looked down at her wrist. _

_Part of her didn't want to skip class but as it turned out, a larger part of her had decided already that she should go with Jonathan. He had already gotten suspicious when he saw Bianca walking about with her. Not spending the afternoon with him, would have probably added more suspicion from him. And Maggie didn't want to risk, especially not after his display of emotions from the night before. She didn't want to risk anything._

"_Fine, I'll skip class. I'll stay with you this afternoon," Maggie sighed, knowing full well that she just made him feel like he won._

"_Alright then, my car isn't parked that far," Jonathan smiled and took hold of her hand. "I promise that you'll love what I have in store for you."_

Maggie was lulled out of her sleep when she heard a familiar voice from outside the bedroom door. She slowly opened her eyes and noticed how it was dark. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, Maggie realized that she had been asleep all afternoon.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up. Yawning slightly, Maggie got out of bed and walked toward the door. She began to wonder what all the commotion was about outside of the bedroom.

"Kendall?" Bianca knocked on the bathroom door. "Are you alright? You've been inside there for a while now."

Making sure that she left Maggie's drawer the way she found it, Kendall pushed it shut and took one last look in the mirror. She opened the door and found Bianca standing in front of her with a look of wonderment on her face.

And almost a split second after Kendall had opened the bathroom door, the bedroom door opened also, revealing a somewhat alert Maggie standing in the doorway. The three of them exchanged looks, Maggie to Bianca, Bianca to Kendall and then both Kendall and Bianca turned to look at Maggie.

"I'm umm… gonna get a drink of water," Maggie said softly, walking past the two of them. The split second of having both of their eyes on her had made her uneasy.

Bianca and Kendall exchanged looks with one another, obvious that the both of them were probably thinking the same thing.

"You sure were in there a while," Bianca reminded Kendall of how long she had spent in the bathroom. "Were you having trouble finding my hair brush or something?"

Kendall's eyes were still watching Maggie who was in the kitchen. She couldn't help but look at her, especially after finding out what she discovered in the bathroom. Kendall didn't even hear her own sister calling out her name, trying to get her attention.

"Kendall? Hello?? Kendall?" Bianca waved her hand in front of her sister's face.

"What? Oh, I'm sorry," Kendall brought her focus back to who was in front of her.

"You okay? You look like you just saw a ghost or something." Bianca was now concerned for her sister.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Kendall repeated. "Listen sis, I gotta go. I just remembered that I have something I need to take care of." She reached to hug Bianca.

"Okay," Bianca began to wonder at her sister's sudden abruptness. But she decided not to make anything of it. She walked Kendall to the door and saw her out. After shutting the door, Bianca turned around to face Maggie. She walked to the kitchen counter and sat on one of the stools.

Maggie was still standing on the opposite side of the counter, drinking a glass of water. She noticed how Bianca was sitting there, not saying anything. "You want me to pour you a glass also?" she asked.

"No thanks, I'm fine."

"Alright," Maggie walked out of the kitchen and sat down on the couch.

It didn't take long for Bianca to follow as she sat down on the couch next to Maggie. She immediately saw how uneasy Maggie became but she didn't let that stop her. Bianca took the glass of water out of Maggie's hands and placed it down on the table.

"Maggie? What's going on with you?"

* * *

Jamie walked up the last flight up steps that led to the hallway where his apartment was, the same hallway where Bianca and Maggie lived. He carried his book bag on his shoulder, hoping that Maggie was feeling a lot better than when he had seen her earlier at the boat house.

Since his conversation with Bianca, he had spent the day trying to figure out what had Maggie so 'off'. As he continued to think, he was oblivious to the human figure that was coming toward him. Luckily, Jamie came to his senses in time, before Kendall and he became the victims of a literal head on collision.

"Oh hi Jamie," Kendall looked up. "Yeah, I guess I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going."

"You looked more like you were thinking about something else," Jamie replied. "Anyhow, I was wondering if you've seen Maggie."

Kendall pointed back toward Bianca and Maggie's apartment, "Yeah, she's home. Actually, she just woke up from what I believe was an afternoon long nap."

Jamie's shoulders relaxed when he heard how Maggie had gotten much needed sleep. "Good, I'm glad she was able to get some rest. Maggie looks like she needs it."

"Yeah, from what Bianca told me, she does," Kendall agreed. "I'm gonna go. There's a stop I need to make before I go home."

Jamie stepped out of Kendall's way, "Good night."

"Night Jamie," Kendall walked toward the stairway, exiting the building. She knew where she had to go next and it was the one place where Kendall would hope to find answers. Answers that could probably help unlock why Maggie was keeping quiet about the pregnancy test and being pregnant.

Jamie meanwhile plopped down on his couch in his apartment, sipping a root beer float. He smiled for a moment, remembering the times when he and Maggie would commiserate over their problems with their choice drink. For Jamie, those were great memories for him to look back on.

He sat on the couch, trying to figure out what it was that had his friend so bothered lately. Jamie immediately concluded, like Bianca that it couldn't be finals since the semester had just started. And it definitely could not be classes yet since the school term was barely underway. So if it wasn't anything to do with academics, he wanted to know what in the world was bothering Maggie.

He thought back to when he found her at the boat house earlier in the day. Jamie remembered the lost look on Maggie's face and how she seemed almost shaken at the moment, how if he hadn't arrived in time that something else would have happened.

And that was when the light bulb went off in James Martin's head.

"Jonathan," he said out loud. "What did he do that had Maggie so upset?"

Finishing the last of his root beer float, Jamie tossed his plastic mug into the sink and grabbed his jacket and car keys. Flying out the door, down the stairs and into his car, Jamie went off on a search for answers. Answers he hoped that he could find out tonight.

Jamie drove off in his car, determined to find Jonathan Lavery and he knew just the place to find him.

* * *

Ryan opened the door and found Kendall standing at the doorstep. He was a bit surprised to see her there, given the time in the evening and how as of late, their conversations were only limited to when they were at Fusion. Yet, he didn't mind the visit at all, since the two of them had managed to resurrect their friendship and bury the hatchet.

"Kendall," he ran his hand through his hair. "What brings you by?"

"Ryan, I know it's late in the evening and normally I wouldn't come by if I didn't have a reason and…" she was stopped mid sentence.

"Whoa, Kendall, slow down. Breathe," Ryan told her. "Come in and let's have a seat."

Kendall entered his condo and sat down on Ryan's couch. Ryan sat directly across from her, pushing the bowl of popcorn to her.

"No thanks," Kendall waved away the bowl of popcorn.

"Okay, so what is it that you wanted to ask me?"

Kendall sat for a moment, trying to figure out how best to ask Ryan about his own brother. Seeing as how there was no easy way to put it, she decided to flat out ask, "I wanted to know about Jonathan."

"My brother? What about him?" Ryan asked curiously.

"I wanted to know, well… how much you know about the relationship he had with Maggie Stone."

* * *

Jonathan sat at the roadside bar, sipping his favorite drink, a Mag-opolitan. He finished it and signaled for the bartender to make another. As he was handed his second drink, Jonathan looked to his left and noticed he was about to have company.

"Oh, I didn't know they let boy scouts into bars now," Jonathan mumbled before sipping his drink.

Jamie used his self-restraint not to punch Jonathan for the remark. Instead, he chewed on some peanuts before speaking, "I'd be careful with what you say if I were you."

"And if I don't?"

"You don't want a repeat performance of this morning at the boat house do you?" Jamie motioned for the bartender to come over. "I'll take a draft," he flashed his I.D."

Jonathan laughed, "A repeat performance of this morning? Please, you let me walk away without a scratch. So what are you doing here anyway?"

Jamie took a gulp of his beer. "I wanted to ask you some questions," he turned his gaze toward Jonathan.

"About what?" Jonathan still looked forward. He took another swig of his drink.

"Maggie. I saw you with Maggie today and when I told you to leave, she was upset. I want to know what you said to her," Jamie didn't' back down. He was going to find out what it was that Jonathan did to upset Maggie.

"Oh, that's what you want to know?" Jonathan guffawed. "I thought you wanted to know what she was like in bed. Oh wait, you do know how she is in bed. I tend to forget these things. She's great in bed though isn't she?" he smirked. "But then again, you were just her fuck-buddy. As for me, well we had something good going on."

Jamie's blood became hot. He was still exercising his self restraint, trying hard to resist the temptation of slugging Jonathan.

"No, that's not what I wanted to know," Jamie said through clenched teeth. "I wanted to know… I wanted to know what you said to her that made her so upset."

"Oh," he finished the last of his drink. "That's all you wanted to know? Well then, if you really want to know, I was trying to see if Maggie and I could be friends again."

Jamie found Jonathan's answer hard to believe. Somehow, he figured that Jonathan had some underlying motive to why he sought out Maggie earlier. "Oh and that's it?" he asked him.

"Yeah but if you ask me, she was being a total bitch," Jonathan chuckled. "I should have never let her hang out with Bianca again while we were still together. I mean, when Maggie wasn't around her, things were great but after she started spending time with Bianca again, damn, it sure changed. I still wonder what the hell Maggie sees in her. She could have such a better time with me. Bianca will never give Maggie what I can give her."

"You'd better watch what you say," Jamie gave him the first verbal warning.

"Why? Why the hell should I?"

"Because you are talking about my friends."

Jonathan grabbed some peanuts, "And if I don't?"

"You don't want to know," Jamie's eyes filled with anger. He sat with his fist clenched, trying hard not to let it fly into Jonathan's face. "Now answer my question. Why won't you leave Maggie alone?"

"Oh, the boy scout is getting all mad," Jonathan taunted him. "I didn't know you were appointed their body guard. No wonder you're not getting any action. Unless you…"

Jamie's anger got the best of him as he let the clenched fist go and land right into Jonathan's jaw, causing him to fall right off of his barstool.

Jonathan grabbed his jaw and stood back up. His glared at Jamie and immediately retaliated, slugging him right back.

It wasn't long until the two of them began drawing attention from the crowd around them. Punches were flying back and forth between Jamie and Jonathan, the bartender finding it nearly impossible to break the fist fight up. He reached for his phone, dialing the people he knew that would break up the fight that had ensued in the bar.

"You talk like that about," he punched Jonathan in the stomach. "Maggie and Bianca… you answer to me."

* * *

Bianca placed her hand on Maggie's leg, "Maggie, please talk to me?"

Maggie's downcast eyes found it hard to look at Bianca. She wanted so much to escape the moment she was in and lose herself in sleep once again but somehow, Maggie also knew that that wasn't a better option either. For waiting in her sleep were the memories that were haunting her, the memories were Jonathan was haunting her.

"Bianca, please not now," Maggie pleaded. "I'd rather we just not get into this now. Think we can just have something to eat?" she stood up from the couch and walked into the kitchen.

Bianca sighed; she could see it in Maggie's eyes, the sheer avoidance and pain like that of a tortured soul. She wanted too much to find out what it was that had Maggie so withdrawn. It pained her deep inside to see Maggie this way. But Bianca also knew not to push. She knew that in time, Maggie would let her in.

Yet, Bianca wondered how much longer that would take. She could tell that something serious was going on with Maggie and the longer it stayed bottled up inside, the harder things would be, especially for the both of them.

But, for Maggie's sake, Bianca went along with her soul mate's request.

"Okay Mags," she looked at Maggie from the couch. "You want to eat?"

Maggie nodded as she opened various cupboards in search for food. "Yeah, I'm just hungry. I haven't had much to eat and I skipped lunch since I slept all afternoon."

Bianca approached Maggie from behind and wrapped her arms around her. Maggie tried to relax with Bianca holding her.

"Let me worry about the food, you go and relax on the couch," Bianca whispered into Maggie's ear. "It's okay."

Maggie's body tensed as she heard Bianca whisper in her ear. Suddenly, she experienced a flash in her mind.

"_It's okay… I'm sorry I even did that," Jonathan whispered in her ear. He stood behind her, his shirt off, his hands gently running down Maggie's arms. "Shhh… I'm sorry… Everything is okay now. There's nothing to worry about," he gently kissed the back of her neck, causing Maggie's body to tense up. He began kissing her shoulder, his hands wandering to Maggie's bra straps as he gently pushed them down off of her shoulders._

Her body still tensed, Maggie brought herself back to the present. She escaped from Bianca's embrace and stood at the counter, away from her.

Bianca was taken aback at Maggie's sudden movement. She became even more worried as she witnessed Maggie standing at the counter, visibly shaken and trying to catch her breath.

"Maggie? Are you alright?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Bianca went closer, "Maggie?"

Maggie took another step back, now against the counter. The look in her eyes seemed lost, tears gathering at their corners as she stood back. It was clear that whatever that had flashed in Maggie's mind, terrified her enough that she wasn't in the moment. It wasn't until Bianca had said her name a couple of times that Maggie snapped out of whatever tormented daze she was in.

"Mags, you okay?" she slowly approached her.

"What? Yeah, I'm okay," Maggie turned and left the kitchen. She walked to the couch and sat down. "I'm fine."

Bianca sat down next to her once again. It broke her heart to see Maggie the way she was but somehow, Bianca needed a way to find out how to break through to her. "Please, tell me what's going on?" her soothing voice pleaded.

"I told you, I'm okay… I'm fine," Maggie turned her head away from Bianca.

"You don't look fine. In fact, you look far from it," Bianca reached over in an effort to get Maggie to look at her. "Just please, talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about," Maggie wished that Bianca would back off. "Everything is fine."

She knelt down in front of Maggie and looked up into her eyes. Bianca could still see the tears that had gathered themselves in the corners of Maggie's eyes. She saw the struggle that was written all over her face and how much she wanted to say something but couldn't. Most of all, what Bianca saw when she looked into Maggie's dark brown eyes, she saw fear.

"Whatever you have locked up inside of you," Bianca tried her best to break through. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. Maggie, the longer you keep it inside, the more the pain will never go away."

Her downcast eyes said it all. Maggie tried hard to avoid Bianca's gaze, eyes darting from one place to another. "I… I just…" she breathed a sigh of relief when the phone suddenly rang.

Bianca reached to grab the cordless and answered, "Hello? What? Okay, okay, calm down… I'll be right there… no, I won't say anything. Yeah, well you owe me now. I will be right there." She hung up the phone and brought her attention back to Maggie. "Jamie has been arrested."

"What?" Maggie was taken back by surprise.

"Yeah, he called to ask me to bail him out. Tad and Brooke are out of town so he called me," Bianca stood up and put on her coat. "Is it alright if I leave you with Miranda?"

"Yes, we'll be fine."

"Okay… but we're not done here," she reminded Maggie. "When I get back, I want us to talk. I mean, really talk."

Maggie nodded, "Okay"

"Good, I won't be long. I hope," Bianca walked out the door, Maggie watching it shut behind her.

* * *

They resided in their separate cells. The fuming tempers had finally been pulled apart when the police had shown up at the bar in an effort to break up the bar brawl that Jamie and Jonathan had partaken in. Of course, it was a mere fist fight that turned into a two person brawl.

Jamie had finished his fifth set up push ups when he glanced up at Jonathan across the way. "Man, I've seen mug shots that looked happier than you," he slipped his shirt back on over his head.

Jonathan didn't acknowledge Jamie's remark, rather he lay on the bed. He stared at the ceiling in hopes that he would get his one phone call soon and find someone to bail him out. That someone would turn out to be Ryan.

"I still want to know what you said to Maggie," Jamie forced the issue once again.

Jonathan turned his head in annoyance, "Why is it that you're sure it was me that caused her to act that way? Ever consider that maybe it was just PMS?"

"I want you to stop screwing around. Why can't you just answer the question?" Jamie was becoming frustrated with the younger Lavery.

"Look, I don't know what it was that I did," Jonathan said with conviction. "When she saw me, she was already upset. So maybe you're going to have to go to Maggie to get your answers."

Jamie's eyes focused on Jonathan. He saw the mark that his fist had left on his jaw from when he had landed the first punch at the bar. He then focused on the look on Jonathan's face, his eyes filled with nothing but coldness, as if there was no soul in his body. There was something about Jonathan Lavery that had set off many alarms in Jamie.

And if it was the last thing Jamie was going to do, he was determined to find out just what kind of a guy Jonathan was to Maggie.

* * *

Ryan walked back into the living and handed Kendall the cup of coffee she had requested. Sitting down on the couch across from her, he took a sip of his cup.

"So what is it that you want to know about my brother?" Ryan took another sip of coffee.

Kendall blew the steam off of her cup before answering, "I just wanted to know, well… what you knew about his relationship with Maggie."

"What about it? All I know is, is that he fell pretty hard for her and is still having a hard time getting over what happened," Ryan only spoke of what he knew about his brother's relationship.

"So you really don't know much?" Kendall had hoped for more information than what Ryan was giving her.

"Honestly, I don't. I mean, she did spend a lot of nights here with him. They really looked like they were enjoying each other," Ryan spoke those words, not having the real knowledge of what had gone on between Jonathan and Maggie. "But earlier this evening…"

Kendall's eyes grew interested at what Ryan was about to say next, "What about it?"

"I don't know… he was rather ticked at how Maggie acted toward him today," recalling his conversation from earlier. "Yeah, he was ticked. I tried to knock some sense into him. I told him that there was a whole world full of women for him and asked why he was still hung up on Maggie."

"And what did Jonathan say?"

"He said that what they had was special."

Kendall became intrigued by that remark. 'What was it that made it so special for Jonathan?' was the thought that began floating in her head. She continued to peruse her thoughts, trying to figure out the logic in those words and the so called special-ness of the relationship.

Kendall now wanted to dig deeper, "Ryan, what was he like when he was younger?"

Ryan began to wonder what the game of twenty questions regarding his younger brother was about. "Kendall, what's your reasoning behind all of this?" he asked her. "Is there something wrong that I don't know about? What is it?"

"Ryan, it has nothing to do with you," she reassured him. "It's just that… well, I wish I could tell you but I can't. I need you to trust me on this one though."

Hesitating at first, Ryan answered, "Jonathan had it pretty hard as a kid. He got picked on a lot in school and the home situation didn't help much either. But he survived. I mean, look at him today. He is his own man."

"So there are no regrets between either of you?"

"Not that I know of."

"Are you sure?" she wanted to make sure of his answer. "I mean, you said he basically got the short end of the stick and wasn't as lucky as you were growing up."

"Kendall, I honestly don't know. I left him way before he could fully defend himself so I pretty much missed out on a good part of his life," Ryan lamented. "I still regret ever doing that to him."

Their conversation would be interrupted abruptly by the phone ringing. Ryan reached over for the cordless and answered.

"Hello… Jonathan, what? Yeah okay, I'll be right there. Yeah… sure… alright," he tossed the cordless phone aside. "Jonathan was arrested tonight."

Kendall sat up in surprise, "For what?"

"For getting into a fist fight with Jamie Martin."

A light bulb went off in Kendall's head. She figured out that Jamie sought out Jonathan as she watched Ryan grab his wallet and coat. Kendall had gone in search of answers and it looked like Jamie had done the same only he got into trouble.

"I'm going to head down to the station to bail him out. Are you coming along?" Ryan put on his coat.

"No, I think I'm gonna head home," declining the offer. "Go take care of things with your brother," she followed Ryan out the door.

* * *

"You so owe me for this James Edward Martin," Bianca chuckled as she drove. "I mean really, of all times you call, it was just when I was getting Maggie to talk."

"Oh," was his one word answer. "I'm sorry. But if it's any consolation, I was trying to get some answers out of Jonathan. And then well, he said some choice things and my fists took over from there."

"I can see," Bianca laughed at how Jamie was sporting a shiner. "Well, did you find out anything?"

"Not much, all he said was that I should ask Maggie," Jamie replied.

"You know Jamie, I'm beginning to think that the only person we will get all our answers from is her," Bianca turned onto the block where their building was. "So I think we're pretty much back to square one."

"I guess so," he agreed. "Thank you for bailing me out."

Bianca put the car in park and turned to look at him, "Like I said, you owe me."

"How about lunch tomorrow, you, me and Maggie. That sound good enough?" he smiled.

"It'll be like old times," Bianca accepted the offer. "Lunch tomorrow it is."

"And maybe then, maybe Maggie will talk," Jamie said, getting out of Bianca's car.

"I sure hope so too."

* * *

Maggie had managed to find something to eat after Bianca had gone, some soup she found in their fridge. Not too long after, she heard the distinct sound of a baby's cry coming from the nursery. Maggie walked into the baby's room and found Miranda awake and wanting attention. She picked up Miranda, along with her favorite stuffed toy and brought her into the other bedroom.

She lay on her bed with Miranda next to her, dangling the teddy bear above her head. Maggie smiled for a split second savoring the innocence of the child next to her. It was probably the first time she had smiled in days, "You know Miranda, you're pretty lucky. I mean, you don't have to worry about a thing like making choices, deciding whether or not you should have an apple or an orange or even the life changing ones."

Maggie sighed, putting down the teddy bear that was in her hand. She let Miranda take hold of her index finger and continued to spill her heart out to the baby, "I don't even know how I got to this place in my life. I mean, never did I imagine ever having to make some important choices at my age. But now I have to and honestly Miranda, I have no idea what to do."

"I umm… I feel really lost right now in all of this," she let her index finger softly caress Miranda's cheek. "I know that everyone is worried about me and I wish I could say something. I really do. I don't mean to be keeping this to myself because I know that no matter what Bianca, Jamie and even you, I know you all will still love me but the thing is. The thing is, is that I'm scared out of my mind."

Images of Jonathan hauntingly flashed in Maggie's mind. Moments, both warm ones and tense ones appeared before her eyes, split seconds apart. And the suddenly, the flash she had when Bianca was around her earlier, came back. Maggie shook her head, trying to shake the images from her mind.

"I'm scared because I don't know what to do least of all I don't know what I am doing. A huge part of me is resenting the fact that I got involved with Jonathan Lavery," she sighed, watching Miranda playing with her feet.

Talking to the baby did prove to be beneficial for Maggie in a way. Still speaking she poured her heart out, "I regret it because now I'm scared. I'm scared of him because of what he did. What he did to me not just that night but for a time before that. And because of it all, I can't help but internally shake with fear when I see him."

"He…" Maggie took a deep breath. "He haunts me in my dreams and even when I'm awake. Just when I thought I could get a moment to myself, he's there. He was there today at the boathouse and he wouldn't leave me alone. What does he want from me? I want nothing to do with him and he can't get that through his head. I don't feel safe with him or even around him. Your mom, Bianca she's made me feel safe."

She saw Miranda smile at the mention of Bianca's name, "That's right, your mom. She always knows how to make someone smile. Lately though, I've been finding it harder to do that. I don't know why. I mean, it's a simple thing to do, smile. But with everything I have going on, smiling seems to have drifted to the bottom of my priority list. There are those brief moments, like how I'm looking at you now smiling and you're looking back at me, it feels almost like magic, like you're taking all my pain and hurt away. But then I stop smiling and it all comes back," Maggie continued to lament, "And I wish it would all just go away," tears slowly fell from Maggie's eyes. "I wish it would but it won't, it can't because it never will."

Maggie wiped the tears from her eyes and noticed how Miranda was drifting off to sleep once again. "And it's because of him that it will never go away. I just… I just wish I could find a way out of this. Find that light in the tunnel that will help guide me back to the way things were. I just want to feel safe again," she whispered before closing her eyes and falling asleep with Miranda next to her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Dressed with a baseball cap tipped down to mask his face, he carefully and quietly walked down the hallway. Knowing full well that he shouldn't even be lurking around where she lived, he was determined to find his way back into her good graces. No matter what it would take, he would never rest until he could see that smile on her face once again.

He pushed up his cap and stared at her door. Kissing the red rose he held in his hand, he placed it on her doorstep. He took the card from his pocket and laid it down next to the flower, with hope that she would understand why he was doing this. He had considered knocking on her door at first but decided it wasn't the best of choices, especially if he wanted to avoid creating a scene.

And so, he would walk away, leaving the red rose and the note for her to read. As he walked down the hallway, he took one last glance at her door, tipping his cap forward rendering himself unrecognizable once again.

* * *

Jamie sat on his couch in the utter silence. With the newspaper open next to him, he spooned himself cereal from the bowl in his hand. He was finding it hard to concentrate on reading the paper as his thoughts kept floating back to Maggie.

He remembered the many mornings when Maggie would come out of her room still with bed head, always making the refrigerator her first stop. They would always have breakfast together, a bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice. Some mornings, when Jamie was up for it, he even cooked. Of course, with his limited culinary skills, the only breakfast item he was good at making was scrambled eggs and toast.

Still, no matter what, breakfast would always be their meal.

Jamie gave reading the paper a second try but was now distracted by footsteps he heard in the hallway. Putting down his bowl of cereal, Jamie made his way to the door. He opened it slowly and stuck his head out to see who was lurking outside his door.

He saw a figure walking away but couldn't make out who it was. Soon enough whoever was outside the door disappeared, leaving Jamie to wonder who would be hanging outside his door and Bianca and Maggie's on a Saturday morning. Not making much of it, Jamie shrugged his shoulders, closed the door and went back to eating his bowl of cereal.

* * *

The sunlight beamed through their windows once again, creating an illuminating glow bouncing off the walls of the bedroom. Maggie opened her eyes slowly, trying not to be blinded by the sunlight in the room. She noticed her bed companion had changed from the night before, remembering how she had fallen asleep with Miranda next to her.

Maggie concluded that Bianca had arrived back and found Miranda asleep and placed her in the nursery.

Slowly, Maggie sat up, stretching her arms above her head. She turned to look at Bianca for a moment, wondering what time she had returned from bailing Jamie out of jail. Maggie's eyes looked at the clock on the nightstand. Seeing how it was still early, she decided to let Bianca sleep.

Maggie got out of bed and made her way toward the bathroom. She stood at the bathroom sink, trying to avoid looking at her own reflection. After a moment, she couldn't avoid it anymore as she took a look at herself, tired eyes and all. Not being able to look any longer, Maggie turned on the water with hopes a warm shower would relax her mind, even if it was just for that small window of time.

However, the time in the shower would prove to never be enough of an escape for Maggie. Any sort of time Maggie got to herself lately seemed to have qualified as a way of forgetting her worries but as time passed itself by, it became harder and harder for her.

She needed to tell someone what was going on and soon.

Maggie stepped out of the shower, still feeling the same as before. She turned toward the mirror and saw how a layer of moisture separated her from her own reflection. And it is exactly how Maggie felt. She felt separated from everything because of her own internal struggles.

Maggie felt separated from life itself. Rather, she felt estranged from her own life and how she felt like the control she once had over it, she didn't have anymore as it was lost somewhere within the relationship she had with Jonathan.

* * *

Fully dressed, Maggie went into the kitchen in search of breakfast. Grabbing a bowl from the cupboard and the milk from the refrigerator, she decided that a bowl of cereal would be a nice way to start her day.

Perhaps if Maggie had some cereal left, it would.

She stood at the counter, shaking the box and noticed how there was barely anything left. Her next conscious thought was Jamie and decided to make her way to his place in hopes he would share some of his.

After all, breakfast was always their meal.

Maggie walked toward the door and opened it. She was about to step into the hallway when she looked down, noticing what was left on the doorstep.

Her eyes stared at a one red rose, accompanied with an envelope that had her name written on it.

She picked it up and sat back down in the living room. It didn't take Maggie much time or in fact any time at all to figure out who had left the items for her. She set the rose aside and opened the envelope, her hands shaking with fear of what was written inside.

Slowly, she pulled out the note and read it to herself in her head.

_Dear Maggie-_

_I want to sincerely apologize if I had upset you in any way, shape or form yesterday. I didn't mean to do it because you know that making you upset is never any of my intentions. I want us to get back what we used to have, to be friends with hopes that we can put everything that has happened behind us. I want nothing more than to see you happy. I miss seeing that smile of yours and hearing your laugh. I miss what we had._

_I never meant to hurt you…in that way or any way for that matter. Please believe me…_

_Please take this rose as a form of how I feel for you and hope that we can at least be friends. _

_With All my Love,_

_Jonathan_

Maggie stared at the note in her hand for a minute. She read through it once again, her eyes concentrating on one particular line.'

_I never meant to hurt you… in that way or any way for that matter. Please believe me…_

How could she even begin to believe a statement such as that one? Maggie's eyes teared at the sight of those words. She knew the meaning of what he was saying, knowing full well he was still trying to avoid taking any responsibility for his actions. It pained her even more to see how Jonathan still could not accept that the reason he ever lost her in the first place was not because of anything she did, it was because of everything he did. Everything he did to those that she loved and most of all to her.

Maggie took the rose next to her and went over to the window. She opened the window wide and tossed the flower out. She had no need to keep something like that from him and didn't want to either. The note however, she kept. For reasons she couldn't figure out yet, she kept it. Quietly entering her bedroom, she reached for a locked box that she kept under her bed and placed the note inside. She did this as quietly as possible so as not to wake up Bianca who was still sound asleep.

After having stored the letter from Jonathan, Maggie once again set off to Jamie's in hopes of obtaining some breakfast food. The breakfast food she so needed and wanted before she had been sidetracked by Jonathan's desperate yet scary plea for love.

Maggie knocked on Jamie's door and waited for him to answer. Soon enough, he opened the door, holding a bowl of cereal in his hand and smiled.

"Hi there stranger," he smiled at Maggie, noticing the bowl in her hand. "Go ahead and help yourself."

Maggie entered his apartment, "How did you know?"

"Breakfast was always our meal wasn't it?

"Yeah, I guess it was," Maggie cracked a small smile. "You don't mind do you?"

Jamie closed the door and sat back down, "Not at all. Like I said, help yourself."

Maggie poured some cereal into her bowl and began eating. It didn't take long for her to notice Jamie's face, notably the shiner he was sporting.

"Ummm James, what happened to you?" Maggie asked between spoonfuls of cereal.

"Oh this?" he pointed to his eye. "It's nothing, I just got into a misunderstanding last night."

"Enough of a misunderstanding that it got you arrested and a black eye?"

Jamie nodded, "Umm… yeah."

Maggie swallowed and asked, "Can I ask who it was that you got into a disagreement with?"

Jamie's first instinct was to tell Maggie that it was Jonathan he got into a fist fight with but he held back from mentioning it was him. He was still working on putting the pieces together as to why Jonathan made Maggie so upset and didn't want to set Maggie off by telling her it was him.

"I got into a fight with JR," he hoped Maggie would believe him. _'Please let her believe me,'_ Jamie thought to himself.

"I guess he's still the same hot headed guy eh? Some things will never change."

Jamie breathed a sigh of relief, "Yeah, I think you're right."

Maggie finished her bowl of cereal and rinsed it out. Thanking Jamie for sharing his cereal, she made her way back over to her apartment across the way.

"Good cereal," she turned to look at Jamie. "Thanks."

"Anytime Mags. You know you can always come over here when your stash is out."

Maggie smiled slightly and entered her apartment, seeing Bianca and Miranda awake and conquering the fun task of feeding.

"Okay, one more," Bianca held the baby spoon filled in front of Miranda. "I promise."

Maggie walked toward the two of them. She noticed Miranda's reluctance to the food and decided to see if her method worked.

"Mind if I?" she took the spoon from Bianca's hand.

"Sure, go right ahead," Bianca stepped back to let Maggie feed Miranda.

"Okay kiddo, one more just for your mommy okay?" Maggie smiled at her. "Ready?" she put forth her cheesy attempt at an airplane sound which in turn amused Miranda giving an opening for Maggie to feed her the baby food. And surprisingly, it worked. "There you go," she smiled. "You always did listen to me, don't you?

Bianca stood back and watched first hand the kind of bond that Maggie had with Miranda. She noticed how well Miranda took to Maggie, not giving her any trouble at all. As she listened to what Maggie was saying to the baby, Bianca couldn't help but pick out one thing Maggie said.

"_You always did listen to me, don't you?"_

Those words sparked something in Bianca's head. Could it be that it was Miranda who Maggie was possibly opening up to? It made sense to Bianca since Miranda really had no way to respond to Maggie, except to only listen. Miranda was definitely a source of solace for Maggie and Bianca noticed that immediately.

"I'll be right back," Bianca disappeared from the kitchen for a moment and went into the nursery. As she stood inside, she pulled out the extra set of baby monitors she had gotten from someone and strategically placed one of them in a spot that was out of sight. If Maggie was opening up to Miranda, then by placing the baby monitor in a spot in the room where no one would notice, she would be able to at least get some inkling as to what was tormenting Maggie's soul.

Bianca came back into the kitchen and found Maggie, just having finished rinsing the eating utensils and was now drying her hands. She walked over to Miranda and took her into her arms.

"Jamie invited us out for lunch later," Bianca mentioned to Maggie.

"Oh," Maggie wondered why Jamie made no effort to tell her earlier when she was over at his place earlier.

"Yeah, come on, it will be just like old times. You, Jamie and me, and Miranda that is," Bianca hoped that Maggie would agree to coming out. "His treat since he owes me for bailing him out of jail last night."

Maggie thought for a moment and then reluctantly agreed. She knew that by joining them, it would probably ease both their worries and give them the impression that things were okay, even if it was a lie.

"Alright, sounds like fun," Maggie made an attempt to smile sweetly.

* * *

"Kendall, there had better be a good reason for why you called me over here," Greenlee sat down on the couch. "I'm missing out on some quality time with Ryan."

"Oh please Greenlee. You can have quality time with Ryan later," Kendall handed her a cup of coffee. "You're here because I need to ask you some questions."

Greenlee took the coffee from Kendall, taking a sip, "What questions?"

"I have some questions about Jonathan."

"Oh, so you're interested in him now?"

Kendall sat back in her chair, "Me? No way. I wanted to ask you, well what do you know about the relationship he had with Maggie?"

"Jonathan and Maggie? Not much except for how they sure spent a lot of time together," Greenlee replied. "I mean, literally… she was over at the condo more than her own place. At one point you'd think she was living there too."

"So they spent a lot of time together?" Kendall asked.

"Didn't I just say that?" Greenlee was apparently not a morning person. "Sorry, didn't mean to be snippy like that to you."

"It's okay, just tell me what you know."

"I honestly don't know much. He was really private about his relationship with Maggie," she told Kendall. "And apparently, he's still having a hard time getting over her."

"He really fell for her huh?"

"Yeah, he sure did."

Greenlee and Kendall would continue to share their insights on Ryan's brother as the morning progressed. Kendall listened attentively as Greenlee told her what she knew about Jonathan and his time with Maggie. It wasn't until she heard something that Greenlee said which set off alarms in Kendall's head.

"One day, Maggie was over at our place and I saw her sitting on the couch. I think she was studying and she looked kind of frustrated. I don't know, maybe it was because of classes or something," Greenlee still remembered that day vividly in her mind. "So I saw down next to her and squeezed her arm and she winced, like it really hurt her. I saw her bring her hand up to where my hand was before and I noticed her wrist was bandaged up. I asked her what happened and she told me it was nothing. Saying she sprained her wrist from carrying all her books."

"Okay," Kendall was still listening.

"And then Jonathan came into the room and he saw how I was holding Maggie's wrist and all of a sudden this look came over Maggie's face and the same was on Jonathan's. Only, it was two different looks."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Jonathan had this cold look that he was giving Maggie. And Maggie on the other hand, her eyes kind of just filled with fear. At least that's how I can describe it."'

A light bulb had gone off in Kendall's head.

"Greenlee, you don't think Jonathan…."

"Kendall, with how private he was about his relationship with Maggie. I wouldn't rule that possibility out. Why do you want to know about this anyway?"

"Maggie…"

* * *

Jamie, Maggie and Bianca sat in BJ's waiting for their orders to arrive. Jamie became engrossed in playing peek-a-boo with Miranda, which of course she was enjoying. And perhaps Jamie was possibly enjoying it more so than the child.

"James Martin, you are such a hoot when it comes to playing with children," Bianca laughed. "You look like you are having too much fun."

"She's enjoying it too," Jamie smiled. "Hey Mags, want to join in on the fun?"

Maggie had been sitting there watching the fun exchange between him and Miranda. She tried her best to clear her mind and enjoy the moment even if it was only temporary.

"No thanks, you look like you're having fun anyway. I don't want to cut in on your moment," Maggie turned down his offer.

Bianca had slipped her hand into Maggie's as they both sat at the table. She pushed some hair behind Maggie's ear and smiled. Maggie had smiled back at her, but it had been accompanied with a look of unsure-ness, which in turn sparked the concern in Bianca all over again.

"So, I wonder where our orders are," Bianca said in an effort to start some conversation at the table.

Maggie was playing with the salt and pepper shakers at the table when she suddenly became uncomfortable. Her eyes had wandered toward the door for some odd reason and had spotted Jonathan enter and head straight for the counter.

Maggie suddenly became nervous and uptight at the sight of him. Bianca and Jamie noticed the change in Maggie's demeanor, immediately having them wonder what was going on.

"You alright Maggie?" Jamie asked first, he didn't notice Jonathan was at the counter.

"Maggie?" Bianca saw where Maggie's eyes were focused.

Grabbing her bag and coat, Maggie stood up from where she sat, "I umm… I'm not feeling so great. I'm just gonna head back to the apartment if that's okay."

"Sure," Bianca could see the uneasiness in Maggie's eyes. Not wanting to make her feel any more uncomfortable she let Maggie go without asking any questions. "I'll just take your order to go."

"Thanks," Maggie said rushing out of BJ's.

"Bianca, what was that about?" Jamie asked.

"I think it has to do with him," Bianca's motioned for Jamie to follow her eyes.

Jamie turned his head and saw who Bianca was looking at. He didn't even have to utter any words as his dislike for Jonathan Lavery grew and grew every time he got sight of him.

"I swear, if he did something to Maggie that has her acting this way… he's going to pay," Jamie muttered under his breath. "I know he's the root of all of this, I have a feeling."

"Jamie, I sure hope you are onto something. For Maggie's sake, I hope you are," Bianca observed Jonathan with a watchful eye as she held Miranda in her arms.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Jamie kept his eyes on Jonathan for the whole time he was in BJ's. "I don't know what it is, but something tells me that he is the reason for Maggie running out in a hurry. She was perfectly fine before he came in."

Sensing that someone was looking at him, Jonathan turned around and looked back at Jamie. He smirked at him, as if to acknowledge each other's presence.

"Nothing but cold eyes," Jamie turned around to face Bianca. "It's the same look he had in his eyes when we in those holding cells last night."

"That isn't the first time I've seen his eyes like that before," Bianca said, giving Miranda her bottle. "I remember when Ryan was shot and he went around accusing Kendall of it. What's also scary is the short temper he has."

"Short temper, you sure got that right," Jamie agreed. "Whatever happened to that investigation? Did the police ever find out who shot Ryan?"

"It kind of just fell to the bottom of all the police files. It's still open but there hasn't been any evidence that would point a finger toward someone," her eyes wandering to the counter where Jonathan was still standing.

With his order finally arriving, Jonathan paid and turned to leave BJ's. Walking past Jamie and Bianca's table, he flashed one last smirk at them, more so to Jamie before exiting through the doors.

"He just makes my blood boil," Jamie reached for a fry from his plate. "I find it very hard to believe that he's Ryan's brother, a Lavery."

"Well not everyone can be like Ryan." Bianca replied. She had just finished burping Miranda and placed her in the stroller. "What makes you think he did something to Maggie? Jamie, what do you know that I don't?"

"I found Maggie at the boat house yesterday and she was pretty upset. Guess who else I found there with her. None other than Jonathan," he explained to Bianca. "I didn't hear everything but I arrived just in time hearing her asking him to leave her alone. I made my presence known and told him to leave or else."

"And did he?"

"Yeah, when I blocked him from trying to get to Maggie."

"So what happened after that?" Bianca hoped that there was more Jamie could tell her.

Jamie recalled the next set of events in his mind, "I went and sat down next to Maggie and I put my arm around her. Now normally, she would lean into me because that's what she normally does. It's kinda like our thing, don't get jealous or anything."

"No no, not at all," Bianca laughed. "Keep going."

"Well, that's when I could tell something was wrong because she just sat there and didn't do anything. I asked her if she was alright and if Jonathan was bothering her. And she didn't answer my question. She couldn't even look me in the eyes," his voice remained concerned. "All she did was reach down for her bag and then hurry off to class."

Bianca processed all the information that Jamie had just told her. It bothered her how Maggie was even avoiding Jamie's questions and how neither of them could figure anything out. The only thing both of them had to go on was the assumption that Jonathan had a huge part in Maggie's growing distance from everyone.

"Jamie, I just don't get it. We have this assumption that Jonathan is behind all of this and I am sure that we're both right. There is no question there but we're still missing the crucial pieces to the puzzle," Bianca's frustration coupled with worry bubbled to the surface. "It's like we have all the pieces except for the important one, the middle piece, the one that will complete the puzzle and explain everything."

"Yeah, well the only one who has that missing piece is Maggie," Jamie reminded her. "And until we get her to open up, that missing piece will stay that way, locked up inside her."

* * *

"Kendall, you know that you are really making a huge assumption here," Greenlee didn't want to believe what Kendall was telling her. Yet deep inside, she had a feeling her friend's assumption was right.

"But what if I am," Kendall put down her cup of coffee. "What if he did? Maggie is Leo's cousin. Wouldn't you want to protect her?"

Greenlee hated it when the cousin line was used on her. She hated it because she knew it was right. "I understand and yes, Leo would want me to protect her, even if it is from my own brother in law."

"I just hate thinking the worst but I'm concerned about Maggie and for Bianca," Kendall thought about her sister for a second.

"Have you talked to Ryan about this?"

"Not really… you are the only one I've talked to about my assumptions," Kendall replied.

"Let me have give you a hand then," Greenlee offered her help. "Maybe I can get a little further than you have so far."

Kendall smiled, "Thanks. I know how hard this might be for you to do, him being Ryan's brother and all."

"Everything you've told me makes a lot of sense and I want to do this, for your sister and for Leo. I want Maggie safe," Greenlee voiced her sincerity and concern. "And if your assumption is right, it's going to disappoint Ryan. Especially because he loves his little brother so much, it's definitely going to break his heart."

* * *

Bianca and Jamie were still sitting in BJ's, both of them still trying to piece together what they knew in hopes that maybe it would give them some sort of hint as to what was going on with Maggie. As much as they tried to combine the little information they had, it still led them to a dead end.

"You know, I heard Maggie say something this morning that kind of stood out to me," Bianca said, pushing her food around her plate.

"And what is that," Jamie asked.

"I was watching her feed Miranda and she had said to her, 'You always did listen to me, don't you?' and that got me thinking. What if Maggie's been opening up to Miranda?" she put the thought on the table for Jamie to consider.

"What makes you think that?"

"It makes sense in some sort of way," Bianca replied. "I mean, here is Miranda, she can't talk, so she can't say anything to Maggie. In a way, it's like Maggie's been able to find some solace in my daughter. I don't know, maybe I'm just reaching here but what I did after I heard her say that was hide an extra baby monitor in the nursery and hopefully I'll be able to catch her talking to Miranda again."

"Nice plan," Jamie smiled.

"I hate eavesdropping on anyone's conversation but if it will help to find out what's going on, then it's worth doing." Bianca looked up and noticed who was about to go by their table. "David."

He stopped at the table, surprised that Bianca even acknowledged him. After everything that had happened with regards to Miranda, he thought she wouldn't want to be on speaking terms with him.

"Bianca."

"David, think you can sit down for a little bit. I was hoping we could talk," she asked him. "Jamie, think you can take Miranda for a little bit, while David and I talk?"

"Sure," he smiled, reaching into the stroller and taking Miranda into his arms. "We'll be over there." He walked toward the jukebox, giving Bianca her privacy and time to talk to David.

"Before you say anything Bianca, I know that no amount of apologies can ever be enough after what I did to you," David said sincerely.

"What you did David, I don't think I can ever forgive you for. But I am willing to push that aside for now because of one reason, Maggie," Bianca's voice trailed. "I wanted to know if you've seen her lately."

"She hasn't spoken to me since you got Miranda back. In fact, I don't think she even wants to speak to me," he replied, noticing the concerned look on Bianca's face. "Why?"

"I was just wondering."

"Well, I did see her at PVH yesterday morning coming out of Maria Grey's office," David told her. "What's going on Bianca?"

"Wait, you saw her coming out of Maria's office?"

"Yes."

She decided to fill David in on what was going on with Maggie. Bianca did it for the sake of family since David was Maggie's cousin and deserved a right to know what was going on. After all, it wasn't fair to leave him in the dark, even after the misdeeds he had committed in the past year.

"So you're saying that you know nothing else except for what you have told me," David rubbed the stubble on his chin. "You are right; it is really out of the ordinary for her to be closed off like this."

"It really is. I figured that I would at least clue you in on everything since you two are cousins."

"Thank you Bianca."

"No need to thank me, I'm just doing this all for Maggie. I'm doing this because I love her."

* * *

Maggie finally slowed down her pace as she walked down the street. She felt slightly embarrassed for having left BJ's abruptly before but couldn't help but doing so. Seeing Jonathan inside the restaurant was the last thing she expected and definitely needed, especially after the gift he had left for her earlier in the day. It bothered Maggie beyond anything how he would not give up on her. The mere thought of how he couldn't grasp the fact that she didn't want him in her life anymore baffled Maggie and at the same time scared her because of what she knew he was capable of.

She kept on walking until she found herself in the park. Still walking aimlessly, Maggie found herself lost in her own thoughts. The reality was beginning to set in for her at the fact that inside her was a child and the father was Jonathan Lavery. Never in her life did she imagine that she'd be at this point in her life so soon and now she was faced with choices on what would happen next,

Maggie's walk would slow as she continued to meander in her mind, thinking about how she had gotten involved with him in the first place and why she didn't get out of the relationship at the first sign of danger. She silently regretted the choices she had made in past months, inwardly telling herself that she should have known better. Maggie would soon be jarred out of her thoughts when she was startled by a voice behind her.

"Maggie?"

Turning around, she saw that it was only Maria Grey with her daughter Maddie in tow. "Oh hi," she breathed a sigh of relief.

Maria knelt down in front of Maddie, "Tell you what sweetheart, why don't you go play on the swings over there while I talk to Maggie."

"Okay Mommy," Maddie smiled, skipping her way toward the playground.

"So, how are you doing?" Maria stood up from the ground, shifting her attention to Maggie.

"I've had better days," Maggie went to sit down on a bench.

"I take it that you haven't said anything to anyone yet," Maria surmised simply by judging the look on Maggie's face.

Maggie looked down at the ground, biting her bottom lip, "Not really… not at all. Unless you count talking to Miranda."

"Well, at least you know your secret is safe with her," Maria laughed.

Maggie laughed slightly, "I guess it is."

A moment of silence crept between the two of them as they sat on the bench. Both of them were watching Maddie play in the distance, savoring the innocence of what it would be like to be a child all over again.

"Why haven't you told anyone yet?" Maria broke the silence. "I don't mean to pry or anything."

"No, it's okay," Maggie's gaze was focused on her gloved hands as she spoke. "I… I umm, I don't know why. I don't even know what I'm doing right now."

"Can I ask you another question Maggie?"

"Sure"

"You said Jonathan Lavery when you were in my office. Is he the father?" Maria asked, wondering if her suspicions were right.

"Yes," her one word answer, a look of fear washing over her face. "Yes, he is."

Maria noticed the look on Maggie's face. She knew she hit a sore spot when she mentioned Jonathan's name and it made her wonder why. It wasn't until Maria recognized the look on Maggie's face that it had reminded her of her younger sister, Julia, after finding out she was pregnant.

"Maggie? Did Jonathan do…" she wasn't able to finish her sentence, Maggie cutting in on the thought.

"No… no…" she said defensively. "He um... he didn't do anything…" Maggie's voice trailed off, her gaze shifting away from Maria.

Maria didn't want to push the subject any more. She saw how withdrawn Maggie was becoming and she definitely didn't want to contribute to pushing her further away. Yet, Maria couldn't help but feel so much concern for the young woman sitting next to her.

"You know, you can tell me anything. It will stay between you and me," she reassured her.

Tears had begun to gather in the corners of Maggie's eyes. She quickly wiped them away before they had a chance to fall and looked up at Maria, "There's so much I want to say but I really don't know where to start or how to even comprehend it."

"How about taking it one step at a time," Maria suggested. "You can't keep holding everything inside; it's not good for you."

"I know"

"So why not set the truth free?"

"Easier said than done," Maggie said under her breath.

"But you will feel a whole lot better once you let someone in," Maria reminded Maggie. "It will put you at ease and I know it will put Bianca at ease. I bet she's worried about you."

Maggie began to feel more and more uncomfortable, knowing full well how Maria was trying to get her to open up. In an attempt to change the subject, she looked out toward the park at Maddie.

"What's it like, having her in your life," Maggie asked Maria, her gaze fixed upon Maddie.

Maria looked at her daughter, who was having the time of her life on the swings. "She's a blessing to have in my life. I like to think of her as my little miracle."

Maggie smile, "That's a sweet way to put it."

"You know, you still have a little bit of time to figure out what you want to do," Maria turned to look at Maggie. "It will get a little easier though once you open up to someone."

"Yeah, I know," she nodded. "But you see, that is kind of the least of my worries. I know it's wrong of me to be shutting everyone out right now but…"

"But what?"

"How do I keep Jonathan from knowing that he is the father?" Maggie asked.

* * *

He sat on the bench, which was on the other side of the hedges. Unbeknownst to Maria and Maggie, he had heard almost every word of their conversation. He took in every bit of information he got as he chewed on the hamburger he held in his hand. He tried not to make any noise, so as not to make his presence known.

Taking a sip of his soda, Jonathan swallowed and then exhaled into the cold air. He smiled inwardly at the biggest piece of information he had learned just by listening to the conversation Maggie had with Maria.

'_I'm going to be a father.'_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Jonathan continued to eavesdrop on the rest of the conversation as he finished his lunch. He stood up and left shortly after, continuing to have a grin on his face, thinking about his latest revelation. As he walked down the path, he thought about his own father and vowed to never repeat the sins that had been committed by him.

Little did Jonathan know that the sins of his own father were already visited upon the son. And as much as he would want to deny it, Jonathan was more like his father than he thought himself to be which in turn was the sole reason why Maggie grew more and more afraid of him.

He thought about Maggie and the time they spent together, reflecting on the so called 'magic moments' and wondered why Maggie would keep such a huge piece of information from him. Jonathan tried not to get annoyed at that fact, thinking about the possibility that maybe Maggie was simply waiting for the right time to tell him.

Or, he thought, maybe she wasn't going to tell him at all.

That fleeting thought bothered him. Jonathan thought about the other possibility that perhaps, Maggie wasn't going to say anything at all. He contemplated the chance that she was going to deny the child of knowing who its father was. Jonathan frowned at his last thought, hoping that Maggie knew better and would give him a chance to be a part of the baby's life.

After all, he was the father. And it wouldn't be fair to cut him out of his or her life.

Continuing down the snowy path, Jonathan knew what he had to do next. He stored his newfound information securely in his head and kept walking. Deciding not to say anything to anyone just yet, Jonathan wanted to make sure of one thing and was determined to make it happen.

He needed weasel his way back into Maggie's life once again and this time, it would be for good.

* * *

"Maggie? Why don't you want Jonathan to know about this?" Maria asked her.

"I have my reasons," Maggie avoided eye contact with Maria by looking away. "Reasons that I wish I could tell you, but I can't, at least not right now."

"So you don't think that he has a right to know he is a father?"

"I don't want him in my life anymore," Maggie replied. "Even if it means him not knowing that he is a father. My life is complicated enough and letting him back into it would be a mistake."

"A mistake?"

"Yes," Maggie nodded. "I've made enough of those in my life and if I were to let him back in, it would only lead to more hurt and pain, for me. I don't want that."

Maria listened carefully to Maggie's choice of words in the answer she had just received. Something sounded odd in what she said and it left Maria to wonder what exactly Maggie meant. In some ways, it sounded like an ambiguous code to her, if there was an underlying meaning to Maggie's words. It didn't sound right at all to Maria and now had sparked some concern as to the context of it all.

"Is there something Jonathan did that has you feeling this way?" Maria asked. She now felt this need to know what was going on. Somewhere, deep inside, Maria now feared for Maggie's safety. She didn't know what it was that compelled her to do so but she felt the need and didn't want to back away from it.

Maggie still sat on the bench, her eyes focused on the ground. She could hear the concern in Maria's voice and hoped that it didn't spark any worry in her too. With Bianca pressing her for answers lately, Maggie didn't want to add to the ever growing list of people who wanted to know what was going on with her.

She stood up from the bench and turned to Maria, "I should get going. Thanks for the concern but I'll be okay."

"Just remember to stop by my office this week."

"I know," Maggie walked away.

* * *

Once again, she was alone in her own thoughts as she walked along the snowy path. Maggie knew that Maria meant well before but she just wasn't ready to unlock any of the secrets that were locked inside of her mind and most of all her heart. As much as she had wanted to set the truth free, Maggie felt compelled to hold back. She didn't know why, but something inside of had compelled her to do so.

Perhaps it was because Jonathan had been lurking in the bushes without her knowing.

As she continued to wander in her own mind, Maggie began to ignore those around her, not even paying attention to who was coming toward her. She almost became the victim of a person to person collision had he not brought her out of the daze she was in.

"Maggie?" David stood before her.

She blinked a few times before coming to the realization her cousin had stopped her. It didn't take Maggie long to step aside and keep on walking. She had made it clear before that she no longer wanted anything to do with him after what he had done to her and to most of all Bianca. True to her own word, Maggie stood firm on that, not even uttering a word or giving any sort of acknowledgement.

David ran and caught up with Maggie, pleading for her to stop for a moment. Finally Maggie stopped and could do nothing but glare at him.

"I know that you probably don't even want to talk to me," he said sincerely. "But I just wanted to know how you were doing."

"I'm fine," she replied, wondering why he stopped her in the first place.

"That's good," David searched Maggie's expression, with hopes that he could find a way to reach common ground with her.

"Well, if that's all you wanted to know, then I'm gonna get going," Maggie began to walk away. She didn't get as far as two steps when David called out for her again. She turned around, "Yeah?"

"What's going on with you? he asked her. "I mean, what gives?"

"David, I told you. I am fine," Maggie said defensively. "I am perfectly fine."

"You don't look like it."

"You think I'm lying. Ummm, you sure are one to talk."

"If Bianca was willing to push aside everything I did to you and speak to me today, then something is wrong," David walked closer to Maggie. "Talk to me, I know something is going on."

Maggie turned around with her back to David, "I don't know what Bianca had told you but like I said, I'm okay. There is nothing to be worried about."

"Look, she just cares about you okay?" David reminded her.

Maggie stood in her spot and stared down at the ground. She then began walking again, now with David's words etched into her head. And as much as she hated to admit it, David was right, as well as Maria. Their words echoed through Maggie's mind as she walked back to the apartment with hopes that Bianca was not back yet so she could have a little bit of time by herself.

That would not be the case as she opened the door and found Bianca sitting on the couch reading a magazine. She closed the door and took of her coat, throwing on a chair and her keys onto the table by the door. Her eyes focused on Bianca for a second until she saw her look up from the magazine and return her gaze.

Bianca sat on the couch, looking up at Maggie, thinking that she would come over and sit next to her. She moved over slightly and hoped Maggie would sit down but instead she found herself watching Maggie turn and walk in the direction of the bedroom door. As she sat there, she watched Maggie enter and close the door softly behind her.

Worried and disappointed, Bianca turned back around and faced forward. The distance between Maggie and her was growing further and further and it truly hurt Bianca to see Maggie like this. More than anything, she wished that Maggie would trust her like always and open up. But for some reason or another, Bianca knew that one thing was for sure, and that was that whatever Maggie's inner torment was, it had to be deep.

Bianca was brought out of her brief daze when she heard a knock on the door. Getting up to answer it, she opened the door and saw Kendall standing on the other side.

"Missing Miranda already?" Bianca smiled at her sister, stepping aside so that she could come in.

"Like you need to know the answer to that," Kendall rolled her eyes. "Actually, I came here hoping that we could talk."

"Come to the kitchen with me and we'll talk there," Bianca walked toward the kitchen with Kendall following behind her. She opened up the refrigerator and reached for some drinks when she noticed that she had forgotten to buy milk. "Kendall, I need to run out for a minute. You don't mind staying a while do you?"

"No, not at all."

"Good, I won't be long," she went to on her coat. "Miranda is sleeping in her room and Maggie is well, she's inside the bedroom."

"Okay."

Kendall went to sit on the couch and picked up the magazine Bianca had been reading. She had been flipping through the pages when she heard the door open from behind her, seeing Maggie emerge from the bedroom.

"Oh hey Kendall," Maggie said, wondering where Bianca went.

"Hey yourself… Bianca had to run out and get something. She said she will be right back."

"Okay," Maggie nodded. Soon her attention was brought over to the baby monitor where she could hear Miranda crying. "I got it," she said stopping Kendall from getting up.

"Oh, alright," Kendall sat back down. Her eyes wandered over to the coffee table where she saw the baby monitor. Reaching over, Kendall turned up the volume, with hopes that maybe she would hear Maggie speaking to Miranda.

* * *

Maggie walked into the nursery and picked up Miranda, who was crying. She rocked her in her arms, hoping that it would soothe the child. Maggie walked over to the rocking chair and sat down. She reached over and turned on the radio, hearing the chorus of Seether's song, 'Broken' playing on the radio.

_Cause I'm broken when I'm open  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough  
Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away_

It was a song that echoed most if not all of Maggie's inner torment at the moment. She sat, holding Miranda in her arms as she listened to the lyrics, relating especially to the chorus feeling as if she was broken and had lost all of her strength. Perhaps most of all, what Maggie had felt like she lost, was the strength to fight.

The past couple of days had been nothing but nightmares for her and the past twenty hours had been nothing but a continuous roller coaster of emotions. Her strong facade was beginning to crumble, not knowing how much longer she could keep the so called 'strong' front up. As each minute would pass, little by little, Maggie felt like she was crumbling and that was something she didn't want happening. Yet, as much as she wanted to prevent herself from breaking down, she knew that it was inevitable.

The longer she kept the pain in, the more it wouldn't go away. Maggie knew that hiding from her own problems and not facing reality would not do anything for her.

She looked down at Miranda who had fallen asleep in her arms and had tried to smile but instead frowned. Maggie stood up from the rocking chair and walked over to the crib, placing Miranda down inside it. Standing above the sleeping child, Maggie gazed at Miranda's innocence, wishing beyond anything that she could have that again.

"Miranda, you don't know how much I wish that I could turn back time and change things," she spoke. "If I were ever given the chance to do that, I'd take it in a heartbeat and maybe it would prevent all this heartache that I'm going through."

Kendall had been sitting in the living room when her attention was brought to the baby monitor where she could hear Maggie clearly. She brought the monitor closer to her and continued to listen.

"There is so much that everyone doesn't know and I honestly don't know how I'm even going to tell them," Maggie rubbed her forehead, feeling the tension coming to the surface. "There are just so many choices that I made these past couple of months that have me wondering why I ever made them in the first place. But most of it, it is those choices that have turned into my worst regrets."

Maggie sighed as she continued to seek solace in the sleeping infant, "And perhaps my worst regret is Jonathan Lavery and not listening to my own instincts. I don't know what it was that got into me and maybe I was just being an idiot or something and maybe I just wanted to lose myself in someone but of all the things that I have come to regret in my life, it was becoming a part of his life."

"I have honestly never felt so lost until now and I blame it all on him," Maggie's voice began to fill with quiet anger. "He has managed to turn my life upside down and left me with nothing. I know that I'm supposed to have control over my own life but even that is gone. He has haunted me in my dreams and torments me in the waking hours."

Kendall continued to listen to Maggie pour her heart out, her heart breaking slowly at the words she was hearing. She had a feeling that something had been bothering Maggie but had no idea of the degree of the pain that the young woman was going through.

"And he continues to do it because he knows that he has that control over me. I can't go anywhere in this town without him being where I am. I wanted him out of my life and I told him that but somehow, he just doesn't want to listen," Maggie continued to lament. "I… I just… why does he have to be this way to me? Why does he have to be doing this to me? After all the shit I put up with for so long from him…" tears had begun to fall from Maggie's eyes. "The pain that he put me through and continues to… I just… I just have no idea what to do anymore." Maggie sunk down to the floor and buried her face in her hands, letting the tears fall from her eyes.

Not being able to take any more of Maggie's heartbreaking words and now sobs, Kendall finally got up from the couch and went to Miranda's room. Slowly, she pushed open the door and found Maggie leaning against the crib crying. Kendall went over and knelt down in front of Maggie, taking Maggie's hands away from her face so she could look at her. Her heart broke for Maggie as she could see the pain just by looking at her tear filled eyes.

"Maggie, please… I want you to talk to me," Kendall pleaded with her. "If not to Bianca, please talk to me. I want to know… did Jonathan do something to hurt you?"

Through clenched teeth and ragged sobs, Maggie's tears continued to fall as she nodded at Kendall, "Jonathan… yes… Jonathan hurt me." She fell into Kendall's embrace and continued to cry.

Feeling like the ground had shifted from under her, Kendall's heart sank, as all her suspicions from the past 24 hours were now coming to life.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Kendall held Maggie in her arms, letting her release her emotions. Maggie's tears began to soak up Kendall's blouse but she didn't mind at all. Kendall just wanted Maggie to set free whatever was bottled up inside of her.

Maggie sat up and continued to lean against the crib. She stared straight ahead with her eyes focused on Miranda's Disney themed wall. She sat there with an anguished look on her face not saying a word.

Kendall sat next to Maggie, placing her hand on top of Maggie's in an effort to reach out. The silence that was coming from her began to concern Kendall even more.

"Maggie?" Kendall tried to look at her face. "Please talk to me."

Maggie turned toward Kendall, trying not to let any more tears fall. "I… I can't," she fought back her tears. "I can't go there again."

"Can't go where? Maggie, what happened?" Kendall hoped that she wouldn't shut down on her. "It's okay, you can tell me. I can help you."

Maggie turned away from Kendall. She tried to get up but Kendall grabbed hold of Maggie's arm, stopping her. Suddenly, Maggie flashed back in time, her eyes filling with tears at the vision before her.

_Jonathan grabbed hold of Maggie's arm, "You're not going anywhere. Not until you promise me that you won't breathe a word of what I did to anyone else." He held onto her arm tight, pulling her close. "Promise me."_

"_Yes, I promise," Maggie winced in pain. "Just let go of me please, it hurts."_

Maggie stared at Kendall's hand, gasping with fear. Her breathing became shallow as she tried not to go back in that moment in time.

"Let go of me…" Maggie begged.

It was too late. She began to drift into a daze of flashbacks. Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes, she was seeing Jonathan before her.

"_You can't!" he grabbed hold of her wrist. "No one can know."_

"_Owwww… Jonathan, you're hurting me," Maggie's face writhed with pain. She tried to break from his grip. "Let go… "_

"Maggie, it's Kendall," she tried to coax the younger woman back to the present. "It's only me. Jonathan isn't here." Kendall became more and more worried for Maggie as each second passed by. She remembered back to the time when Erica had told her about Bianca reliving the rape. She could only wish that this wasn't the case with Maggie, that Jonathan didn't hurt her as bad as she was thinking.

Not being able to realize where she was, Maggie backed away from Kendall. With fear filled eyes, she soon found herself back into a corner of the room. She wasn't seeing Kendall in front of her, only Jonathan.

"Just don't hurt me again. I'll do whatever you want," Maggie said through tears. "Please just don't…"

It was clear as day to Kendall that Maggie wasn't in the here and now. She searched her mind mercilessly for a way to bring Maggie back to the present. Her heart was racing as she hoped Bianca would return soon.

Realizing that it probably wouldn't be any good to wait for her sister to return, Kendall took a deep breath and told herself that she could do this. "Maggie, I want you to look at me," she pleaded. "It's only me, it's Kendall. You're home… you're not at Jonathan's… you're home." Kendall said hoping beyond hope that Maggie would come back to reality.

Still curled up in the corner, Maggie shook with fear. She could hear a voice calling out her name but wasn't sure of who it was. She withdrew further into the corner bringing her legs closer to her body wrapping her arms around her knees and burying her head.

Kendall noticed that the sun had set and that it had become dark inside Miranda's room. She reached up to turn on the lamp and checked on Miranda, making sure she was still asleep. Luckily, the infant was sleeping soundly, oblivious to what was going on in the room.

With the room finally lit, Kendall hoped that it would bring Maggie back from whatever dark place she was in.

She knelt in front of her, "It's okay Maggie, it's just you and me. I'm not going to hurt you." Kendall held back her tears as she watched Maggie look up at her.

"Kendall?" Maggie whispered, wiping away the tears from her face.

She breathed a sigh of relief, "Shh… it's only me," Kendall reached over to Maggie bringing her out of the corner. The two of them were now sitting against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"Maggie, please talk to me. I want to know what Jonathan did," Kendall prayed that she wouldn't shut down again. "We just want to help you."

Looking away, Maggie couldn't bring herself to open up, "I can't… I can't go back there." She begged Kendall, "Please don't make me go back to there, I just can't."

"You cannot shut down on me. You need to talk to someone, you need to let whatever is bottled up inside you out," Kendall moved in front of Maggie and looked into her eyes. "The pain will never go away if you don't."

"But I can't… I can't do this," Maggie's voice filled with fear. "I can't let myself get hurt again. I can't let him do it to me again."

"Do what Maggie? What did he do? What did Jonathan do to you?"

A single tear rolled down Maggie's cheek as she tried to gather the words she was about to say. It took all of her strength and courage to finally confront the reality that was before her. Maggie took a deep breath, terrified at her own self, that she was now admitting what had been causing her inner turmoil.

"He hurt me, Jonathan Lavery hurt me."

Those words were spoken from Maggie's lips, as they were nothing but the truth. Kendall could not even begin to fathom a reaction, only being able to look into Maggie's eyes and realizing for the first time how empty they looked. Jonathan had not only robbed Maggie of her courage but he ripped way her spirit too.

Bianca opened the door with Jamie following behind her. Both of them were surprised to find the living room dark. Looking toward the crack of light coming from Miranda's room, Bianca surmised that her sister was in there.

Her attention was brought toward the baby monitor on the couch. Turning to Jamie, she signaled for him to stay quiet and invited him to sit down next to her on the couch. With the baby monitor resting on her lap, Bianca and Jamie listened to what was going on inside of Miranda's room.

"It's okay," Kendall whispered reassuringly. "Just start from the beginning. Tell me what happened."

"I thought he was the most charming guy in the world," Maggie tried her best to relax. She leaned against the wall, bringing her hand to her forehead. "He was cute and he was a Lavery. How could I go wrong?"

"But he wasn't what he turned out to be," Kendall replied.

"No, he wasn't" Maggie shook her head. "How could I have been so stupid?"

"It's not your fault. You didn't know that he was this kind of a guy."

Maggie fought back her tears, continuing to speak, "I never realized how angry he could get until the first time. I came over and I saw him burning Bianca's shirt. I don't know what had gotten into him but the look on his face. It was just scary. I asked him why he did that and he told me that he did it so he wouldn't lose Ryan. I wanted to leave and tell Bianca what he did but he wouldn't let me. He grabbed my arm, hard. Hard enough that it left a bruise."

"Maggie…"

"He held onto me so tight and I told him he was hurting me," Maggie continued. "I thought that maybe it was my fault he was doing it. I shouldn't have gone off on him. Maybe if I hadn't he wouldn't have done that. So when he finally realized what he had done, he let go apologizing that he would never do it again. And I was dumb enough to believe him, giving the benefit of the doubt. I covered for him." Maggie wiped her eyes, "Why did I do that?"

Kendall's body couldn't help but tense at what she was hearing. But for Maggie, she tried to remain calm. "Was that the only time?" she asked her.

Maggie shook her head, which told Kendall that Jonathan's abuse happened on more than one occasion. "No, no it wasn't," she stared forward. "As time went by, his anger grew."

Bianca's heart sank as she sat with Jamie in the living room in the dark. Jamie put his arm around Bianca, the two of them listening to Maggie's painful recount of the last couple of months.

"Oh Maggie…" Bianca whispered, leaning into Jamie's embrace.

Jamie sat with Bianca, giving her some comfort and listening to Maggie over the monitor. He couldn't help but clench his fist with anger with every recount of Jonathan's misdeeds toward Maggie.

"I thought maybe he would control his anger. That maybe what he did was a one time thing, but I guess I was wrong," she looked away from Kendall. "But then he told me what he had done to Ryan."

Kendall's eyes grew wide at the mention of Ryan. "What do you mean? What did he do to Ryan?" she became worried.

Maggie wasn't sure of whether or not she could finally release the information from her mind. Her fears dominated her mind for a moment but she decided that there was no use in keeping the information locked up.

"Jonathan was the one who shot Ryan," Maggie confided to Kendall. "He shot his own brother, in cold revenge."

"That son of a…" Kendall replied coldly.

Jamie and Bianca nearly dropped the baby monitor after hearing what Maggie had just said. "He shot Ryan?" Bianca turned to look at Jamie with disbelief.

"I wanted to call the police. I wanted to tell someone but he wouldn't let me," Maggie still remembered the night vividly, just like it was in her dream. "And when I went to the phone, he grabbed my wrist and twisted my arm. He said I couldn't tell anyone. He wouldn't even let me go home that night," Maggie inhaled deeply before continuing. "Realizing that he was hurting me, he let go and apologized, begging me to stay the night so he could make it up to me. I was scared of what he might do if I left so I stayed. I stayed and he slept with me, even though my body didn't want to."

"_Stay the night… stay with me. I'm sorry about before," Jonathan whispered in her ear, slowly pushing Maggie back toward his bed. "I really am…" Slowly he began to unbutton Maggie's shirt, gently laying her on the bed._

…

_Maggie tried to relax her body as she lay in bed with him. Reluctantly, she gave into Jonathan, not because she wanted to, but because she had to out of fear for herself._

"_I love you," he whispered into her ear, softly kissing her shoulders and neck._

"I had wanted to leave that night, I even tried but he stopped me from leaving. He wrapped his arm around me in bed and I had to stay." Maggie looked at Kendall. "I didn't know what else to do."

As each moment passed, Maggie continued to recount her time with Jonathan. Kendall tried not to let her tears fall as she listened to how Jonathan had stripped Maggie of the control she had in her life. She couldn't say anything and let Maggie pour her heart out, listening to how Jonathan had tore into Maggie's soul.

Tears streamed down Bianca's cheeks as she heard everything Maggie was telling Kendall. It ached her heart to not have known that Maggie had been in so much trouble. She thought back to all the times that she had argued with Maggie about Jonathan only to realize now that she had been doing into to protect herself.

"Why didn't you tell me Maggie?" Bianca asked out loud to Jamie.

Maggie leaned her head back, "I was scared. I didn't want him to hurt me if I did say something, so I kept quiet."

"It didn't get any better did it?" Kendall asked.

"No, no it didn't," Maggie's gaze fell downward. "He wanted to make sure that I didn't say anything to anyone, what he was doing to me. So, he kept tabs on me all the time. I felt so trapped."

Kendall's concern grew as she listened to the kind of control Jonathan had exerted over Maggie. She knew that Ryan's brother had issues but to hear how deep they ran, it scared her.

"Why didn't you say something? Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Because I was scared of what he might do to me had I told someone," Maggie's voice filled with fear. "He hurt me before, I was afraid of what he would do next. It was my own fault for not stopping him when I could have," she said bowing her head. "It was my fault. I brought this on myself for getting involved with him in the first place."

"Don't do this to yourself. It was not your fault," Kendall's heart went out to her. She didn't know what else to say or how to comfort the young blonde.

Maggie didn't respond to Kendall's last statement. Her gaze had fallen to the floor and her hair fell to the sides of her neck. Kendall turned to look at Maggie when her eyes suddenly grew wide at what she was seeing. She finally say the extent of how Jonathan had hurt Maggie, noticing the huge bruise mark that was still healing on the lower part of the back of her neck, leading to her collarbone.

"He did that to you?" almost afraid to ask.

"Yes," Maggie nodded. "But it was my fault. I shouldn't have made him mad."

_They drove back to her place in silence. Jonathan's eyes were focused on the road and his fists were clenched tight on the steering wheel. Maggie became worried, Jonathan not saying a word for the whole drive home._

_They arrived back at her place, finding it empty. Walking into her apartment and straight to her room, Maggie turned around and faced Jonathan. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't realize the time."_

"_Do you know how long I was waiting outside for you?" Jonathan questioned her. His anger began seething in his eyes. "And what were you doing? You were spending time with Bianca. Time that could have been spent with me."_

"_But Jonathan, I barely ever see her," Maggie tried to explain. "I don't understand why you won't let me see her."_

"_I just don't want you hanging out with her. I know she hates me," he tried to justify his reasons for keeping her from Bianca._

_Maggie became annoyed at Jonathan. She resented the fact that he was trying to control who she could and couldn't see. "You know what, if you're going to be like this, just leave!" she finally stood up to him, not letting any of her fears get in the way. "Just leave. You scare me when you're like this."_

_Before Maggie could even get to her door, Jonathan grabbed a hold of the back of her neck and pulled her back._

"_What, you think you can tell me what to do?" he said angrily in her face. "You think you're tough now?"_

_Maggie flinched in pain, "Jonathan… let… go…" She tried to escape from his grip. "Please… just let… go of me."_

_Jonathan finally released his grip on Maggie. He walked over to her door and locked it. Maggie saw that he locked the door, now feeling more trapped than ever. He walked over to her, backing Maggie onto her bed. _

"_Listen, I'm sorry," he knelt down in front of her. He brought his hand to her cheek, ignoring the fact that Maggie had flinched when he leaned in to kiss her. "I want to make this up to you… please…" _

"_But Jonathan… I…"_

"_Shhh…" he unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on the floor. He pulled her off up the bed and began to unbutton Maggie's blouse._

"_Jonathan… please… no…" Maggie pleaded with him. He had already managed to removed her blouse and let it fall to the floor. "Please… no..."_

"_It's okay… I'm sorry I hurt you before," Jonathan whispered in her ear. He stood behind her, his shirt off, his hands gently running down Maggie's arms. "Shhh… I'm sorry…I didn't mean to. Everything is okay now. There's nothing to worry about," he gently kissed the back of her neck, causing Maggie's body to tense up. He began kissing her shoulder, his hands wandering to Maggie's bra straps as he gently pushed them down off of her shoulders. "Just this once, for me…"_

Maggie's voice tried to remain steady as she told Kendall about that night. "I told him that I didn't want to. I begged him but he wouldn't listen," tears began falling from Maggie's eyes. "But he wouldn't stop, so I gave in. I gave in because I was scared. I should've fought him back but I didn't. Why didn't I fight back?"

Bianca could no longer sit in the living room listening to Maggie's pain. She put down the baby monitor and walked to Miranda's room, Jamie following after her. Slowly, she pushed the door open and saw Kendall and Maggie sitting on the floor. She knelt down next to her sister.

"You didn't do anything wrong Maggie. This was not your fault," Kendall tried to comfort her. "None of it was your fault."

"I gave into him. And little by little, he was killing me. He was tearing into my soul and just ripping into little pieces," Maggie said through her tears. "I felt like he was killing me… " she hesitated.

"Maggie… what?" Bianca feared what was going to come out of Maggie's mouth next, having a feeling she knew what it was already.

"Sometimes, I wished what he did had… killed me…" Maggie collapsed into Bianca's arms, letting her tears stream down her face.

Bianca held Maggie in her arms, rocking her back and forth, "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm so sorry." She cried along with Maggie. "But I'm here and you're safe. I love you."

Maggie continued to cry, her emotions finally running free. She remained collapsed in Bianca's arms, her tears continually flowing. Kendall looked on, wiping her eyes and feeling both physically and emotionally drained from what just happened. Her heart broke for Bianca and most of all for Maggie, finally learning what had been troubling the young blonde for so long.

Jamie looked on, trying not to let his emotions show. His heart went out to Maggie, wishing that he had known what kind of a guy Jonathan Lavery had been. Jamie silently berated himself for not noticing what had been happening. Had he known sooner, he could have protected her from what had been done.

Jamie knelt down on the ground joining the Kendall and Bianca. He rubbed Maggie's back, "You're safe now Mags and we're all going to protect you."

"You're safe now Maggie," Bianca repeated. "There's nothing to be afraid of anymore… it's over now… I love you and you're safe."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Jamie and Kendall sat on the floor with their emotions still running high. They watched as Bianca was comforting Maggie, holding her close and keeping her safe. Kendall leaned against the wall and rubbed her eyes. She took a deep breath as Maggie's words began to sink in for her. Kendall had tried to hold back her tears before when she was getting Maggie to talk but now she found it hard to not to cry. Just like Maggie, she too needed to release her emotions.

Jamie sat next to Kendall, offering his comfort to her, as needed. He grabbed the box of tissues from atop the dresser and handed it to Kendall. Still sitting against the wall, he looked on, watching Bianca and Maggie. Jamie had no idea what to feel at the moment. His anger for Jonathan was at an all time high, wanting to just storm out and hunt him down. Yet, at the same time, Jamie couldn't bring himself to leave the room. As much as he wanted to make Jonathan pay for at the hurt he had inflicted on one of his friends, Jamie stayed. He wanted to stay because he owed it to Maggie now to protect her. He wanted to protect her from any more danger and vowed to do so until there was no more need for protection.

"Are you alright," he spoke softly to Kendall, noticing her emotional state.

Kendall wiped her eyes with a tissue, "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a bit drained."

"I totally understand," he nodded. "If you want, you can lean on me. I did a pretty good job of letting your sister do that out in the living room."

Kendall smiled, accepting the young Martin's offer. She slid closer to Jamie, who had put his arm around her back and let her lean for some comfort. The two of them looked on, still watching Bianca and Maggie.

Bianca held Maggie close in her arms, rubbing her back and reassuring her over and over that it was okay to cry. Not wanting to let go of Maggie, Bianca simply held her and she would continue to for as long as needed. "Shhh… it's okay, I'm here," she comforted Maggie. "Just let it all out, it's okay to cry…"

Maggie let her tears fall as she stayed in Bianca's arms. With her emotions finally set free, she relaxed against Bianca's body, finally feeling safe. It was possibly the first time in months that she had that feeling. The feeling of being safe in the arms of someone she trusted, someone she loved.

Bianca looked down at Maggie, still in her arms. She noticed the tears had finally stopped, noticing that Maggie had fallen asleep. A slight feeling of relief washed over Bianca, knowing that maybe Maggie was finally experiencing a peaceful sleep, after having released all of her inner turmoil before.

Kendall and Jamie noticed the silence in the room and saw that Maggie had fallen asleep in Bianca's arms. They too breathed a sigh of relief seeing how Maggie looked somewhat relaxed now and hoped that her dreams would not be haunted by Jonathan.

Kendall stood up to check on Miranda. Miraculously, the child did not wake up once during the emotional ordeal. It amazed her at how deep of a sleeper her niece was, yet also attributed that to the fact that the poor child spent almost a year in the Chandler household. She chuckled silently to herself realizing that anyone who spent time at the Chandlers would pick up the skill of ignoring the loud noises around them. Smiling slightly, Kendall surmised that her precious niece had picked up that skill from her short experience there.

"Miranda is sound asleep," Kendall whispered to Bianca. "Looks like she slept through the whole thing."

"Good," Bianca replied. "And I think Maggie is finally getting some needed peace."

Jamie crouched down in front of Bianca, "Come on, let's bring her into the other room. She'll sleep even better in her own bed." He scooped Maggie into his arms and carried her out of Miranda's room and into the other bedroom.

Bianca followed Jamie, who placed Maggie down gently in her bed. He grabbed the extra blanket from one of the chairs and covered her with it. Maggie stirred slightly, which prompted Bianca to climb into bed next to her.

Bianca lay on the bed behind Maggie, gently stroking her hair. She knew the gesture was of some comfort, reassuring her that she was there to keep her safe. If there was one thing Bianca wanted to make sure of, it was that Maggie would never have to feel alone ever again, staying by her side for the remainder of the night.

Kendall came into a few minutes later with three mugs of hot chocolate in tow. She handed Jamie a mug and then to Bianca. Sitting down next to Jamie on the other bed, Kendall sipped the warm drink from her mug, her eyes focused on Maggie as she slept.

Bianca saw how drained her sister looked. She was grateful for the fact that it was her sister that got Maggie to finally open up. Had Kendall not been listening to the baby monitor when she had, who knew how much longer Maggie would have continued to hold her pain inside.

"Kendall," Bianca placed her mug on the nightstand. "I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for getting Maggie to open up."

"Bianca, you don't need to say that. I was worried for Maggie too," Kendall sighed. "I could see the pain in her eyes and when I heard her talking to Miranda, it was killing me inside. I had to do something."

Jamie took a long sip of his hot chocolate before speaking. "I still can't believe he did that to her," his anger was beginning to build once again. It took every ounce of Jamie's self control not to storm out of the room and out of the apartment and hunt down Jonathan. "It just… it just makes me so mad."

"Easy boy… stay calm," Kendall tried to keep Jamie's anger in check. "You going to pound the hell out of Ryan's brother is not going to solve anything. If there is one thing I learned, it's to keep your emotions in check before they let you do something you'll regret."

"Kendall's right," Bianca spoke softly. Her hand was still stroking Maggie's hair as she spoke to the both of them. "As much as we both want to make him pay, we need to realize that it's Maggie we need to protect. She's hurting in the worst possible way right now and frankly, I'm more scared for her than anything."

Jamie tried to relax his posture, listening to both women's reasoning.

"Jonathan ripped into her soul. He took away her self worth," Kendall's gaze fell upon Maggie. "I know the both of you were listening to everything outside but you didn't see the look in her eyes when she fell into a daze. It's like she went back in time, to all those times he hurt her. I honestly thought at one point that I wasn't going to be able to bring her back from the edge."

"But you did, you brought her back from the edge and you got her to talk," Bianca said gratefully.

"She just looked so helpless," Kendall recalled the look in Maggie's eyes from earlier.

"I just wished she said something." Bianca's eyes fell upon the sleeping figure in front of her. "Why didn't I notice anything peculiar about her? I could have done something."

"Bianca, none of us knew," Jamie got up from the bed and came closer. He sat on the floor by Maggie's bedside. "None of us knew was going on with her. Had I known, you could bet that I'd be the first in line to make him pay."

"Yeah I get you but what I was trying to say is that I feel so guilty for all the times we argued over the stupidest things. How we kept going off on each other when what she was doing was keeping his secrets in an effort to protect her own self," Bianca wiped away a tear that escaped from her eye. "I had no idea she was this scared."

"You know, we have to tell someone about this," Jamie reminded them.

"No… not yet," Bianca sat up slowly. "We don't have anything to go on except for Maggie's word. And right now it would be her word against his. No charge would stick."

"Binx is right," Kendall agreed. "Plus, if any of us say anything, it will definitely set Jonathan off."

"Yes, and immediately he'll know it was Maggie that said something," Bianca reached over for her mug of hot chocolate. "We need to keep Maggie safe and if it means that Jonathan Lavery is still roaming the streets, acting all self-righteous then let him."

Jamie sighed. He knew Bianca had a point but his main concern was on getting justice for Maggie and making sure Jonathan got what he deserved. "I understand that but you're letting someone who hurt Maggie get away with what he did," he tried to make his point stick. "Can't I just go over to his place and just issue a warning, that if he ever comes within 100 yards of Maggie, he'd have to answer to me."

Kendall and Bianca knew where Jamie's heart was at the moment. They could see the anguish on his face and hear the helplessness in his voice. He was feeling responsible for not protecting Maggie. They could see the sense of defeat in Jamie's eyes as well as his frustration for what Maggie was going through. Jamie bowed his head down and clenched his fists.

Moving closer to Jamie, Kendall rubbed his back, "We all feel the same way. I remember back when I found out what Michael had done to Bianca. I wanted to kill him. But Aidan kept me from doing something I would regret." She wanted to make sure her point got across to him. "As angry as you are about all of this, we need to be here for Maggie. She's the important thing right now."

The three of them sat in silence, watching Maggie sleep and hoping that her dreams were not being invaded by haunting images. They would worry for a moment when Maggie turned in bed, a soft whimper escaping from her lips. Bianca's brought her hand to Maggie's cheek, letting it rest there for a moment before brushing some hair away from her face. Bianca quickly took note that Maggie was working her way through a dream.

After a few seconds, Maggie's brow relaxed, taking a deep breath, ending whatever fight had been going on in her dream. Her eyes remained closed, as she relaxed her body, almost as if she innately knew Bianca's presence was at her side. Maggie brought her hands close to her face, curled up her body and continued to sleep.

"So what are we going to do now?" Kendall asked. "I mean, in terms of keeping her safe."

"We protect her at all costs. Which means, Jonathan doesn't get within 100 feet of her, even if it means that one of us has to be by her side at all times," Jamie shifted into protector mode. "Actually, I don't want any of you alone when ever he is in the vicinity. He was trying to get to Maggie at the boat house the other day and I don't want that to happen again."

"I love that you want to be my bodyguard James Martin, but I can take care of myself," Kendall smirked. "You worry about taking care of my sister and Maggie. I will handle Jonathan."

"Kendall…" Bianca shot her sister a look. "Please tell me that you know what you are doing."

"I know what I'm doing sis," she replied. "Trust me on this one."

"Okay," Bianca brought her gaze back to Maggie. She sighed deeply, remembering back to the time she had kept her own secrets of what happened to her. It pained her heart to know that Maggie had done the same but it would ache her heart even more at the fact that Maggie had been holding in her inner turmoil for such a long while. "Oh Maggie, I just wished you had said something," she whispered softly.

"He hurt her bad didn't he?" Jamie moved closer to Maggie.

Bianca nodded her head, "Yes and I don't think Maggie's even fully realized it yet. She's been trapped in her own turmoil that her mind and her body still haven't come to the full realization of what he did."

"You mean he?" Kendall couldn't even utter the words. She shuddered at the conclusion that her sister was trying to get at.

Nodding her head Bianca too found it hard to say. "Yes, he did. I mean, you heard her. He forced himself on her. She begged him not to; she said no but at the same time I think she feared for her own safety which is why she gave in. Maggie may not realize it now but soon enough it will dawn on her. Now that everything is out in the open, Maggie's going to start sorting through everything, with our help."

Kendall's heart sank at what Bianca was saying. It hadn't even crossed her mind that Jonathan committed the most violent crime to ever be inflicted on a woman's body. He violated Maggie in the worst possible way and stole her spirit, her innocence. She remembered the empty look in Maggie's eyes and sighed heavily.

Her mind drifted to the discovery she made in the bathroom and finally began putting the pieces together. Kendall realized that it was Jonathan that had gotten Maggie pregnant.

She debated on whether or not to let Bianca in on the discovery. Her mind and heart battled for a few moments as she tried to make a decision on what to do, what she felt was right. Kendall stood up from the floor and looked at her sister.

"Bianca?"

"Yes"

She motioned for Bianca to follow her out of the room. "I need to speak to you outside for a moment," standing at the doorway.

Bianca reluctantly agreed, "Jamie, stay with Maggie?"

"Yeah, sure," he leaned against the bed. He watched Bianca leave the room and turned back to face Maggie.

Bringing his hand to her face, he brushed away some stray hair from her cheek and sighed. "I wish you could have told me what was going on Mags. You know I would have done anything to protect you from him. That's what friends do, we protect each other." He stopped for a moment, trying to figure out what to say next. "You were there for me when I was trying to get over Babe. You stood by me when I was accused of drugging her and you pretty much protected me when no one else believed that I didn't do it. And now, it's my turn to protect you." His eyes focused on an imaginary image of Jonathan standing a few feet away, his eyes seethed with hate. "I'm going to protect you like I should have and make sure that he doesn't go near you ever again. Whatever it takes, I'm going to make sure you're safe."

Bianca walked out of the bedroom and saw Kendall standing inside the bathroom. She went inside wondering why her sister picked that room of all places to talk. Bianca saw Kendall standing by the drawers, curious to know what the reason was for the two of them to be talking in the bathroom as opposed to the living room.

"There had better be a good reason for why we are standing inside the bathroom," Bianca stood by the sink.

Kendall's mind was still debating on what to do. She finally bit the bullet and pulled Maggie's drawer open.

"What are you doing? Kendall, that's Maggie's private stuff," Bianca tried to pull her sister's hands out of Maggie's drawer.

"Believe me, I have a reason for doing this," Kendall's hand dug into the bottom of the drawer.

"And what is the reason?"

Finally locating the box that was buried under all the Maggie's makeup, she handed it to Bianca. Kendall let Bianca look at it, watching her sister's eyes grow at what she held in her hand.

"This is Maggie's?" Bianca hands shook at what she was holding. "Kendall, how did you find this?"

"I was looking for your brush the other night and I mistakenly opened up Maggie's drawer and found it," Kendall noticed that Bianca hadn't taken a closer look yet. "Sis, take a closer look."

Bianca noticed how the box was already opened. She pulled out the test and compared the colors on it against the box. "Oh my god," she gasped. "Maggie…" she looked up at her sister with disbelief. "Kendall… Jonathan got her pregnant."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The night would stretch into dawn becoming what was a quiet winter morning. Kendall emerged from the bathroom, her hair still looking a little disheveled from having fallen asleep on Bianca's bed. Jamie sat up and leaned against the wall, rubbing the stubble on his face. Both Kendall and Jamie had decided to spend the night in Bianca and Maggie's room, feeling the need to stay for them both.

Jamie rubbed lower part of his back, feeling slightly sore from sleeping on the floor. He looked up and saw Kendall smiling at him and realized that he should have listened to her when she told him to sleep on the couch. But Jamie being his stubborn self, turned down the suggestion saying that he wanted to keep everyone else company in the bedroom.

Kendall on the other hand, slept rather soundly, having slept on Bianca's bed while Bianca chose to sleep next to Maggie.

She looked over at her sister and the saw that Maggie was still asleep. Bianca's head was propped on a pillow resting against the headboard, her eyes focused on the sleeping girl in her arms. Kendall saw how Bianca was holding Maggie close, gently stroking her head.

"Get much sleep?" Kendall whispered as she moved closer to the both of them. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

Bianca brought her gaze away from Maggie and to her sister, "Not really. I was pretty much up all night."

"She looks so peaceful when she's asleep," Kendall's eyes remained focused on Maggie. "It's like you can't even tell that anything is wrong."

"And yet behind her eyes is a whole world of hurt," Bianca ran her hand through Maggie's hair. "Jonathan is responsible for causing all of it. He made her scared and now he doesn't want to own up to what he did, it's just wrong."

Kendall saw the anger in her sister's eyes and couldn't help but feel the same way. "I'm so tempted to just deal with him myself, but I won't. For Maggie's sake, I won't. But when we do get enough information to nail him, I want to be one of the first people in line to see him get what he deserves," the vindictiveness in Kendall's eyes became very much apparent.

"I'm glad you're controlling your thirst for revenge," Bianca smiled slightly. "Because I'd hate to be worried about you too."

Jonathan sat on the couch with his morning coffee. He was opening the mail that had arrived for him yesterday, piling bill upon bill next to him. Tossing everything else aside, he thought about the day before, what he had overheard Maggie saying at the park.

"_Yes Jonathan is the father."_

Still smiling at the thought, Jonathan knew that he would need to keep the information to himself for now. In due time, he would confront Maggie about it and would ask her why she felt the need to keep it from him. For now, his main goal was to get on her good side again with hopes that maybe she'd let him back into her life.

If there was one thing he was determined to do, it was to have Maggie back in his life again and to be a part of the baby's life as well. The question that remained, was how far would he need to go to obtain the object of his affections?"

Maggie stirred slightly in Bianca's arms. Slowly, she opened her eyes and shot up in bed, trying to catch her breath. It took her a moment to realize where she was, her eyes scanning around the room, seeing Kendall, Jamie and lastly Bianca looking at her with concern.

"It's okay, I'm here," Bianca rubbed Maggie's back.

Kendall and Jamie decided it was time to make an exit, wanting to give Bianca the chance to talk to Maggie in an effort to help sort things out. Jamie stood up from the floor and stretched his arms. He took one last look at Bianca and Maggie, promising that he would be back later on in the day to keep watch over them.

Kendall left immediately after Jamie, following him out into the hallway. Before he could enter his own apartment, he was stopped by her.

"Jamie, promise me that you won't hunt down Jonathan."

"I won't," he nodded.

"Good," Kendall replied. "I know you want to make him pay but for now, the best thing is to protect Maggie. We'll nail Ryan's brother in due time."

"Okay," he nodded again.

Jamie watched her walk away before entering his apartment. Shutting the door behind him, he leaned against it and ran his hand through his hair. His eyes were still seething with anger, as he thought about how Jonathan and everything he had done to Maggie.

"Jonathan Lavery, you are going to pay for what you did."

"Maggie, you okay?" Bianca looked at her with concern. She saw how Maggie's eyes kept shifting, not being able to focus on any one thing. "It's okay, I'm here, and you're safe."

Maggie heaved a long sigh; she looked at Bianca and suddenly came to the realization of what had happened the night before. "I'm sorry," she looked away. "I didn't mean…"

"Maggie, there is nothing to be sorry about," Bianca moved closer. "I'm glad you finally said something. We just want to help you now."

She had her back to Bianca, rubbing her forehead. Maggie fought back her emotions, trying not to let herself fall apart once again. With each second passing, she found it harder and harder to hold back anything. Soon enough, she felt Bianca behind her, her hands on her shoulders.

"Maggie, it's okay. You can talk to me," Bianca reassured her. "I love you. You know that right?"

"Yeah, I know," Maggie's gaze fell to the floor. "It's just… it's just… Bianca, what he did…"

**Your words to me just a whisper, your face is so unclear. I try to pay attention, your words just disappear.**

Bianca watched as Maggie battled with her emotions, tears being choked back trying her hardest not to come apart. There was just so much Maggie wanted to say but yet, didn't know where to start. She tensed at the memories that had rooted themselves in her head. The same exact memories that became the haunting images in her dreams.

Maggie wanted nothing more than to just find a way to escape. She wanted to flee from the nightmare all around her, the nightmare that had become her life. After all, running was all that she ever knew and it had helped her avoid a great deal of things in her life. But now, she couldn't run anymore.

Running was no longer an option, simply because Maggie was now backed against a wall with no where to go.

"Why didn't you tell anyone about what was going on?" Bianca asked Maggie, still only seeing the back of her head.

Maggie turned around, now facing Bianca. She knew deep inside that talking would do her a lot of good. Yet, there were so many words she wanted to say but found it hard to form one complete and coherent thought.

**'Cause it's always raining in my head. Forget all the things I should have said**

"I didn't know what to do. I was scared," Maggie mumbled her words out.

"Scared of what? Scared that he'd hurt you again if you did say something?" Bianca could see the vulnerability in Maggie's eyes. "It's just you and me here, no one else is listening. There's no Kendall or Jamie around. I will sit here with you for as long as you need me to. I'm not going anywhere."

It pained Bianca seeing Maggie so detached. She couldn't help but feel a sort of rage inside toward Jonathan for what he did. He took away everything that was Maggie, everything that had defined who she was, her strength and her courage. Jonathan had essentially left Maggie with nothing, except for the fact that she was now carrying his child.

The light that was once in Maggie's eyes was now gone, the sheer innocence she used to have was now ripped away leaving only a broken spirit that was grasping now for any means of survival. Bianca's heart broke as she now realized that the Maggie she once knew had faded away leaving only the lost and tortured soul in front of her.

Maggie wanted to turn away again but decided not to. She focused her tired eyes on Bianca's trying to muster up the words she wanted to say.

"I should have ended things sooner. Maybe if I had, I wouldn't be in this whole nightmare," she lamented.

**So I speak to you in riddles, cause my words get in my way. I smoke the whole thing to my head, and feel it wash away.  
**

"But that night… that night was the worst nightmare of all," she looked away, her gaze now on the wall on the other side of the room. "I begged him not to. I told him I didn't want to, I remember saying 'no' but he didn't listen. He wouldn't listen."

**'Cause I can't take anymore of this, I wanna come apart. And dig myself a little hole, inside your precious heart.**

Bianca didn't speak; instead she took hold of Maggie's hand, reassuring her that it was okay. She wanted Maggie to unlock all the hurt that was harbored inside. Slowly but surely, Maggie was coming to the realization of what happened to her.

"I wanted him to leave but he wouldn't," Maggie fought back her tears and took a deep breath. "He locked the door and turned around to face me. His eyes just had this coldness and it scared me. I was saying no, my body was saying no too but he was the one saying yes. But then it's like I gave up and gave in, even though I had said no over and over." A tear had streamed down her cheek, "I just didn't want him to hurt me anymore."

Bianca let go of Maggie's hand and cupped her cheek. She focused her eyes on Maggie's, wiping away the tear that lingered. "Maggie I want you to look at me," her voice remaining as gentle and comforting as it could. "What Jonathan did… what he did to you...was rape," she struggled the words out.

Maggie turned away from Bianca. She tensed at the thought, trying to deny the fact of what Jonathan had done. "No… no… it wasn't. I gave in to him. No…" she said over and over. "Bianca, no," she stood up from the bed and went toward the window.

Bianca turned around, her eyes following Maggie. She knew that it would take a little bit of convincing for Maggie to realize harsh reality of everything but she wasn't about to give up. If there was one thing that Bianca was going to do, it was making sure that Maggie didn't hold her pain inside.

She got up from the bed and went to her. "Maggie, please. You need to realize what he did," Bianca tried to get her to understand.

"Bianca… what Michael did to you, that was rape," Maggie tried to find some kind of reasoning in all of this. She was still trying to deny the truth to herself. "I knew Jonathan, I thought I loved him."

"So what you're saying is because you knew Jonathan and you thought you had feelings for him, that what he did to you wasn't rape? Maggie, he forced you into sleeping with him."

Maggie didn't reply as Bianca's words began to finally sink in. She turned around and sat on the opposite side of the bed.

**Cause it's always raining in my head. Forget all the things I should have said.**

Not being able to choke back her tears any longer, Maggie sat on the bed, beginning to process the reality that had dawned on her. She had never fully realized until that moment that Jonathan had violated her in the worst way possible. And now she was left with a piece of him inside her.

Bianca moved closer to her. She saw the anguished look on Maggie's face, knowing full well that it was all now sinking in. Slowly, she put her arms around her, bringing her close, now offering the support that was needed. "You are not alone in this," she reminded her over and over. "We will deal with this together okay? I'm not letting you deal with this alone. You have me now, to help."

Maggie slowly pulled away from Bianca's embrace. She rubbed her already red eyes and sighed. "Bianca," she took a deep breath. "How do I deal with the fact…"

"What Maggie?"

"How do I deal with the fact that I'm pregnant?"

Kendall came out from the elevator, still feeling somewhat exhausted from the previous night. As she walked into the room, her eyes met with the familiar face. She smiled slightly, putting her purse down on the table.

"You look like you had one hell of a night," she looked up from her newspaper. "You'd better have a good reason for calling me into the office on a Sunday."

"I do and after you hear what I have to say, you'll be looking at Jonathan in a different way," Kendall leaned back in her chair. "You were right about him and more than you know."

"You mean he?

"Greenlee," Kendall sat up and moved her chair closer to the table. "He did more than just that… "

"No…" a wave of concern came upon Greenlee's face, seeing how Kendall wasn't denying anything. "I'm going to kill him. Jonathan Lavery is a dead man."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Jamie stood at the take out counter at BJ's. While waiting for his order to come out from the kitchen, his eyes scanned the occupants of the busy restaurant. He recognized a few faces here and there, knowing who the usual customers were and who looked like they were from out of town, merely stopping by for a meal. As his eyes panned the room, his concentration was rudely interrupted.

"Good day Jamie," David sat at the bar. "Just the person I wanted to see."

Jamie shot a glare at David. Of all the people besides Jonathan, David was the last person Jamie felt like dealing with at the moment. "You? Wanting to see me?" he decided to humor him. "That's a first."

"I wanted to ask you about Maggie. I know you're friends with her and I was hoping you could tell me if she was alright," David was making his attempt at being civil.

"I'm sorry but I don't think I can share that information with you," he said denying David's request.

"And why not? I'm still family to her."

"Not after what you did to her and Bianca. You're not even considered family in Maggie's eyes anymore," Jamie tried to glance into the kitchen, wondering where his order was. He wouldn't have to wait much longer as his order now arriving through the swinging kitchen door.

"That's my order right here," Jamie caught the attention of the BJ's employee. "Thank you… And you David, have yourself a nice life," he turned and began to walk away.

David stopped from him leaving, causing Jamie to glare at him. "I demand to know what's going on with Maggie," his voice was insistent.

"Don't you have your own daughter to be worrying about?" Jamie laughed sarcastically. "You know... the one who you lied for and ended up betraying Bianca and Maggie in the process. Just keep out of Maggie's life. It'll make things a whole lot easier for her."

Jamie was exiting the restaurant when he brushed shoulders with who was coming in.

"Hey watch it! Oh if it isn't Boy Scout," Jonathan smirked annoyingly at Jamie. "So who are you saving today?"

Ignoring Jonathan's cheap remarks and the pet name that had been adopted for him, Jamie didn't want to create another scene. The fact that they were both arrested once before was trouble enough for him and he wasn't about to risk getting arrested again. Instead, he decided to walk away but not without issuing Jonathan a stern warning first.

"Listen jerk, call me all the names you want. I could care less but I'm warning now and I'd hate to have to warn you again. Stay the hell away from Maggie."

"And if I don't?" Jonathan dared to ask.

"Just watch your back, Lavery. Just because you're Ryan's brother, it doesn't mean that you get to be Golden Boy Jr. of Pine Valley. That's JR Chandler's job," Jamie stood his ground. "So if I were you, just stay away."

Jonathan cracked his knuckles and walked away from Jamie without as much as a response. He went over and sat down at the bar next to David. Little did he know that he had more than just Jamie to deal with.

He turned his head and saw David glaring right at him.

"Whoa there, calm down," Kendall was taken by surprise at the anger in Greenlee's eyes.

"Kendall! How can I? Greenlee tried to remain calm but was having trouble controlling the fact that her blood pressure was rising, all due in part to Jonathan. "Where is he? I want to hurt him now and good. No one messes with a member of Leo's family."

"Down girl," Kendall walked over, urging Greenlee to sit down. "You might want to stay sitting down after you hear what I am going to tell you next."

"What could be worse?"

"Oh believe me, this is huge."

"Kendall, what is it now?" she was becoming impatient by the second.

"I know who shot Ryan," Kendall hoped that Greenlee's rage wouldn't heighten any further. "It was Jonathan."

Greenlee's jaw dropped at the news she had just been told. She looked up at Kendall in disbelief but at the same time, her eyes became even more enraged. "Oh now he is definitely a marked man in my book. He may be Ryan's brother but now that I know he did all of this, he's gonna have to pay," she stood up and grabbed her purse. As she was about to storm out in search of her brother in law, she was restrained from going anywhere by Kendall.

"Let go of me!"

"No way," Kendall held Greenlee back. "You are not going to do anything just yet."

She whacked Kendall in the arm with her purse, "Are you losing your marbles? The man who just hurt your sister's best friend and practically tried to murder my husband, is out there in plain sight and you want me to just sit here with you and do nothing? Gosh Kendall, you ARE losing your mind!"

"Just listen to me here!" Kendall sat Greenlee down in a chair. "I want you to listen to me. We have nothing to prove that Jonathan did all these things. If there is anything we learned from what happened to my sister, it's that we need solid proof that Jonathan hurt Maggie and that he was the one who shot Ryan," she explained to a still angry Greenlee. "What Jonathan did, what's he done… he ranks right up there with Michael if not worse. I do believe Cambias has met his match."

"Oh my god, he… "Greenlee shuddered at the thought of Jonathan committing such a horrible crime.

"Yes," Kendall sighed. "And it was bad enough that he left her pregnant."

"My god… Maggie," Greenlee sank back in her chair, her rage soon faded as it now became a sense of compassion for Maggie. "How is she?"

"It was one hell of a night," Kendall pulled up a stool and sat down. "But she finally broke down and she's seems to feel a bit more at ease now that Bianca knows."

"So what are we going to do now?"

"We're going to give Jonathan what he deserves," Kendall replied.

"Ryan's going to have a hard time believing that his own little brother is capable of doing any of this," Greenlee's thoughts drifted to her husband, knowing how much he adored Jonathan.

"And that's why I propose we work together so that it opens Ryan's eyes to the kind of man his brother grew up to be as well as we find all the information we can to nail this sorry excuse of a Lavery."

"So tell me Kendall, what is this plan of yours?"

Maggie emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered and now fully clothed. She walked into the nursery and found Miranda sitting up smiling innocently at Maggie. She saw how the child was holding her arms out, wanting to be picked up.

Reaching into the crib, Maggie picked up Miranda and held her in her arms. She smiled at the beautiful child, still in sheer awe of the miracle of life before her. Maggie sat down in the rocking chair and sat Miranda on her lap who had now taken to playing with the bracelet on Maggie's wrist.

The smile on Maggie's face refused to fade as she gazed at Miranda sitting in her lap. She watched her become fully amused at what she was doing, wondering if the Miranda even had any idea of what was going on. It was these small moments that gave Maggie some solace, being able to spend time with the baby she grew to love before it was even born.

And as Maggie sat there, her mind drifted to what was going on inside of her. She too now had a life growing inside her but had yet to make a decision on what she wanted to do. Maggie looked at Miranda and then thought of Bianca and how she had come to her decision of keeping Miranda. She remembered the confusion Bianca had gone through, see-sawing back and forth, the decision being swayed from one moment to the next. It definitely was not one to take lightly as she knew full well that whatever chose, it would be a choice that would inevitably shape the rest of her life.

Maggie was lulled out of her calm thoughts when she felt Miranda pulling at her shirt, asking for her attention. Smiling, Maggie reached over for the small lamb on the floor and handed it to her. As she watched Miranda become amused once again by what was in her hands, she looked up and saw Bianca standing at the doorway.

"She's cute isn't she?" Bianca walked into the room and sat down on the floor by them. "Feeling any better?"

"Yeah," Maggie nodded. "Lucky for me, it seems that I haven't been hit with any kind of morning sickness yet."

"Well, if you do, there's always a stash of saltines in the cupboard," Bianca reached up for Miranda.

Maggie handed her the child and smiled. "I don't know what it is, but she always manages to just find that soft spot in me," she sat down on the floor with Bianca and Miranda.

Letting the baby girl frolic on the floor, Bianca and Maggie laughed, becoming easily amused at the child's every move.

"Maggie?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know what you want to do yet?" Bianca knew it was a bit too soon to be asking Maggie the question but she figured that it would help if she planted the thought in her head.

"I… ummm… I honestly haven't made up my mind yet," Maggie replied. "I only got confirmation that the test results were positive a little over two days ago."

"You still have some time to think about it," she reminded her. "I mean, I don't want to push you to do anything you don't want. Whatever you choose to do, I will support you."

"I know," Maggie nodded. "I guess I just need a couple of days to umm… you know, think about everything. I'm supposed to see Maria Grey this week though. She's who I went to."

"Oh, well that's good," Bianca was surprised that she hadn't approached David.

Maggie saw the look on Bianca's face. "If you're wondering why I didn't go to David about this, it's because I can't. Not after what he did to us," she said still holding some unresolved anger toward her cousin.

Jonathan felt a bit intimidated at the way David was glaring at him. He sat down in his chair, hoping that the waiter would take his order soon but then was deciding that maybe it was better that he ordered it To Go.

"Jonathan Lavery," David moved closer to him. "I've heard a lot about you."

"You have," Jonathan held his firm facade to David. "I hope it's nothing but good things."

"Oh, I'd say… a mix of both," he smirked at the younger Lavery brother. "One thing I know for sure is that I despise your brother. I wonder if I'll have to despise you too."

"Well," Jonathan gulped. "I don't even know you so I doubt there is anything I ever did for you to even hate me."

"Oh but I think there is," David said matter of factly. "I seem to remember you dating my cousin, Maggie Stone? You know, short girl, full of life… pre-med."

"Yeah, I dated her," Jonathan replied. "Key word though, dated… things kinda didn't work out."

"Oh they didn't? Well, can you explain to me why all of her family and friends are rather concerned for her?"

Jonathan became uptight as he sat in David's presence. He began suspecting that maybe he knew more than he was letting on, wondering what caused him to be acting this way.

"Jonathan, can I offer you a piece of advice?" David leaned forward. "If you did anything to make Maggie upset. And I mean anything… you are going to wish that you never followed that hero-complex filled brother of yours to this town."

David stood up from his chair and walked away, leaving Jonathan to wonder what exactly had just happened. He sat up and fixed his shirt, wondering where the waiter was so he could place an order. Jonathan sat on the stool wondering how or why David and Jamie would issue such warnings to him. With his patience growing thinner and thinner, he finally came to a realization. Grabbing his coat, he left the barstool and hastily exited BJ's, heading to the one place he knew he wasn't wanted but decided to go to anyway.

"Knock knock?" Jamie entered Bianca and Maggie's apartment. "I think you should really consider keeping that door locked. Just a piece of advice to me."

"Oh hey Jamie," Bianca smiled, still sitting down on the floor playing with Miranda. "Think you can lock it for us?"

"Sure," he turned around, locking the door. He went over to the couch and sat down next to Maggie who was trying to concentrate on reading her textbook. He leaned over and pulled her into a hug.

Maggie returned the gesture. She smiled slightly at him before returning her eyes back to the pages of the book in front of her.

"Bianca, mind if I entertain my god-daughter for a little bit?" Jamie reached down and picked up Miranda from the floor. "Oooogy booogy booogy…" he made a face at Miranda who didn't quite understand what was going on but giggled anyway.

"You know Jamie," Bianca looked over while removing the food from the bag. "You are lucky that whatever you are doing right now doesn't scare her."

"Oh come on, she loves it," Jamie shrugged. "Right Miranda? Right?" he raised her up in the air, smiling back at the child.

The atmosphere changed suddenly when a knock was heard at the door. The knocking would only become more persistent as each second passed by.

"Maggie open up, it's Jonathan," he said on the opposite side of the door.

Maggie shut her textbook, her body beginning to tense. She sat back on the couch, wondering what his purpose was for coming by. She saw Bianca come past her, taking Miranda from Jamie and stood back. Jamie looked at both girls, asking them with his eyes what he should do.

"Jamie, open it," Maggie told him.

"What?" his eyes grew wide. "Are you crazy?"

"Jamie, he won't go away until we tell him to, so just open it," Maggie insisted while doing her best to hide the fear that crept across her face.

He stood up hesitantly and answered the door. "I thought I told you to back off," he blocked Jonathan from entering. "Don't you know how to listen?"

"Why don't you just move out of the way," Jonathan made an attempt to get past Jamie. "Since when did you become their bodyguard?"

"You just don't know how to listen do you?"

"Jamie, let him in," Maggie called out.

"What?" Jamie looked at her as if she had three heads. "Maggie"

"Just let him in," Maggie urged Jamie to listen to her.

He stepped aside slowly and let Jonathan by. Jamie didn't take his eyes off of him, watching his every move. He stood by the doorway, ready to throw Jonathan out if he even attempted to do anything to hurt anyone of them in the room.

Bianca stood back, holding Miranda in her arms. She literally thought that Maggie had lost her mind at the moment, hoping she knew what she was doing.

Jonathan walked closer to Maggie but was stopped when he came within three feet of her. "Maggie, I want to thank you for…" he wasn't allowed to complete his own thought.

"Don't you even thank me or apologize," she focused her gaze on him. "Why don't you just listen? What's so hard to understand? I said stay away from me."

"But Mags," he stepped closer.

"You are not a part of my life anymore!" Maggie screamed at him. "Don't you even think about coming closer, not after what you've done to me."

"What I did to you?" he laughed sarcastically. "What I did to you? Oh please… what are you saying that I raped you? Bull! You wanted it."

A surge of anger coursed through Maggie at that split second, she didn't even know what got into her as her hand suddenly found itself slapping Jonathan across the face.

Jonathan brought his hand to his cheek, looking at Maggie in disbelief. He was about to step closer to Maggie when he felt two arms grab him, yanking him back and out of the apartment.

"I told you," Jamie shoved Jonathan out the door. "You do anything to hurt her, you answer to me!"

Jonathan laughed, "You think you can get me to stay out of your life? Well think again? I'm never going to leave you alone. You will always be a part of my life, just like that baby you are carrying will be a part of mine!" He yelled as the door shut in his face,

Maggie sank down on the couch, shuddering at what Jonathan had just said. She buried her face in her hands; the fear she once had thought had faded away for the present time had now returned and seemed that it would never disappear.

Bianca sat down next to Maggie, Jamie joining her on the other side. Both of them were too in disbelief at what Jonathan had said, wondering how in the world he even found out about Maggie's present situation.

"Maggie, you alright?" Bianca draped her arm around her. "He's gone."

"Bianca, how can he be gone? He knows and now he'll never want to leave me alone," she sighed in frustration. "Jonathan Lavery is determined to make me a part of his life again no matter what any of us do."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Kendall, this plan of yours sounds wickedly insane but I think it just might work," Greenlee sat in her chair. She tried to make sense of the logic behind it all but decided not to ask any questions. "I just hope that no one gets hurt," she said with concern.

"I hope so too," Kendall concurred. "But you know who will be the hardest one to convince."

"Yes I know," Greenlee sighed. "It's going to take a lot of convincing for Ryan to believe that his brother is capable of hurting someone that way."

"So it's safe to say that you're in?"

Greenlee nodded without any hesitation, "Yes, I'm in. I hate what this might do to Ryan but for Maggie's sake, I want to do this to protect her. Leo would want me to."

"You know, if he were still alive… I bet that he'd pound on Jonathan in a heartbeat. Even if he was Ryan's little brother," Kendall noticed the glossy look in her friend's eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"No, it's alright. I'm okay," Greenlee quickly wiped her eyes. "I was just thinking about Maggie, but you're right, Leo would have probably hunted Jonathan down in a heartbeat. How is Maggie, do you know?"

"I'm thinking of heading over to see her and Bianca right now. You want to join me?" Kendall zipped her jacket and grabbed her purse.

"Maybe not… Well, not yet. I mean, she's already got Bianca, you and Jamie. I'll just be crowding," she rejected Kendall's offer but at the same time was inwardly smiling at the small gesture. "I've got a few more things to take care of here before I head home."

"Okay," Kendall started walking toward the elevator. She turned around to say one more thing, "Greenlee, just be careful okay?"

"You too Kendall," Greenlee smiled. "I'm glad we're on the same side again."

"I am too," she returned the smile before stepping into the elevator.

Greenlee stood in place for a moment, as she watched the elevator doors close. She sat down in her chair, her hands beginning to flip through the binder in front of her. Soon, she found herself very much distracted, not being able to focus on any one thing in particular. Closing the binder, she looked up as though she was speaking toward the high heavens.

"Leo, please give me the patience that I need so I don't end up murdering Jonathan."

Jonathan entered the penthouse still feeling rather peeved after his encounter with Maggie and Jamie the protector. He slammed the door shut behind him causing Ryan to look up from reading the paper.

"I'm not even going to ask," Ryan already knew what made his brother upset, or rather who. "There's some mail on the table for you. Looks like you got a letter from someone."

Jonathan reached for his mail and immediately checked the return address on the letter. "Thanks," he said after recognizing who the letter was from. "I'll umm… I'll be in my bedroom unwinding. Just call out if you need me."

"Yeah, alright," Ryan went back to reading the paper.

Jonathan closed the door to his room and sat down on his bed. He quickly flipped through the rest of the mail he received and then conveniently tossed it aside, leaving only the unopened letter in his hands. Kicking off his boots, he sat back on his bed and leaned against the headboard. After opening the envelope carefully, he pulled out the letter and began reading. A smile appeared on his face; he always loved getting these updates even though they may have seemed few and far between as of late. But Jonathan knew that the settling in process would take a bit of time, so he understood.

With his attention solely on the piece of paper in his hands, he silently read in his head.

_Dear Jonathan-_

_So how's my favorite bad boy? You know, only I can call you that and have you not taken any offense to it. I mean, I just consider that a privilege in and of itself. But well, I digress. I hope this letter finds you well in Pine Valley and I also hoped that you've got yourself settled in. I still can't believe that you got yourself a job, let alone one that entails you doing something that you lied having a degree in. Although, I guess if you put your mind to it, anything is possible right?_

_After all, that's what you told me._

_Anyhow, enough about you… I'm just writing to let you know that I've settled in here pretty well. I love it very much and the city is just such an enigma. I can literally spend all day in a bookstore or some museum and not get bored. There's always something to do around here. I guess you could say that I made the right choice just like you said that Pine Valley was your choice. I just hope you're not there for the sole reason you told me those months ago and that you're there to build a new life while leaving the ghosts of your past behind._

_I'll leave this letter as it is for now. I'm running late for class but I promise to make these updates less few and far between. _

_Take care of yourself and remember what I said._

_-You know who-_

_P.S. Come and visit sometime. I have this fabulous loft and you'd definitely love it here, so please consider the option whenever you're in town._

Jonathan tucked the letter back in its envelope. He opened his drawer and placed the letter with the others her had received ever since they parted ways. He barely remembered the last they had seen each other but always promised to keep in touch no matter where they were. It was the one thing they wanted to keep intact and it was the special bond they had. No matter how near or far they were, both of them made sure they kept some kind of contact.

Simply because, this person was possibly the only one he knew he could count on for anything.

"I'm uh… I'll be in bedroom trying to read if you need me," Maggie stood up and walked behind the couch toward the bedroom.

"Maggie," Bianca called out after her but only to see the door close without getting any response. She turned her head back to Jamie and sighed in frustration, "I hate him. I really hate him." She tried not to scare Miranda who was still in her arms sucking her thumb.

Jamie was about to respond when a knock was heard on the door. Both he and Bianca looked toward it, wondering who it could be now and at the same time hoping it wasn't Jonathan.

"Bianca, it's me Kendall."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Bianca stood up and answered the door. "Kendall," she stepped aside to let her sister in. "Well come right in," she watched her pass by.

"How's Maggie?" Kendall sat down next to Jamie. She immediately noticed looks on their faces. "Whoa, what happened here?"

"Jonathan happened here," Jamie chimed in. "But Maggie sure did put him in his place or rather I did. When he wouldn't shut up, listen and leave, she slapped him. Looked like it hurt too."

"Go Maggie," Kendall smirked, her head now turning to Bianca. "Okay, I take it there's more?"

"He knows," Bianca said calmly while Miranda fussed in her arms. "He knows Maggie is pregnant."

Kendall sank back on the couch. "That can't be good," she looked around the room. "Where is she now?"

"In the bedroom, I'm guessing trying to drown herself in her books so that she doesn't have to think about everything that's happened to her," Bianca said with her eyes focused on her bedroom door.

The three of them sat for a moment, not saying anything. Except for Miranda's cooing, there were no other noises as they all tried to figure out what to say or do. Kendall looked up at her sister and held her arms out.

"Bianca, let me take Miranda for the night," she offered.

"Kendall, I don't think…"

"You need this time alone with Maggie," Kendall took her niece from her sister's arms. "Let me do this for you, for the both of you."

"She's got a good point Bianca," Jamie agreed. "You need this time with her, especially after the past 24 hours. No amount of root beer floats can help what she is feeling right now.

Kendall smiled, "See, even Jamie agrees with me. So you'll let me take my darling niece with me for tonight?"

"Yes," Bianca sighed in defeat, also knowing that they both were right. Bianca now figured she could use this time to talk to Maggie in hopes that she could find out more about her time with Jonathan. "I trust you with her Kendall."

"Don't worry about us. I've got everything under control," Kendall said reassuringly. "Now go pack her a bag for tonight while Jamie and I stay entertained out here." She watched Bianca walk into Miranda's room before turning to speak to Jamie. "Okay, you need to keep this between you and me."

"What?" Jamie eyed Kendall curiously.

"Jonathan is going to get what's coming to him," she whispered.

"And how is that going to be possible?"

"I umm… I enlisted Greenlee on this plan I have," she kept her eye on Bianca who was still packing a bag for Miranda. "I know, it sounds insane."

"You and Greenlee on the same side and working together again, maybe? So what's this plan?

"I can't say what it is yet, but what I need from you is to protect Maggie and my sister," Kendall requested. "Please just do that for now."

"Yes, yes of course. You know I will do that," Jamie nodded. "Whatever you need me to do, I'm your man."

"Good," she replied and then smiled as she saw Bianca coming back into the living room with Miranda's overnight bag. "Got everything in here?"

"Yes and you have the rest of her stuff at your place right?" Bianca saw how Miranda had fallen asleep in her Kendall's arms. She smiled and leaned over, kissing her daughter on the forehead. "You be good for your Aunt Kendall," she whispered to the sleeping child. "And you, well I guess I should say thank you."

"No need," Kendall shook her head and smiled. "Listen, you take care of Maggie tonight and leave this cute little girl to me. Why don't you and Maggie go out for a walk or something, get some fresh air."

"I don't think a walk…" Jamie began to speak.

"A walk will do them some good," Kendall interjected. "They can't hide inside this apartment forever. Plus they're not both helpless, I am sure they can defend themselves."

Bianca couldn't help but laugh slightly at the banter between Jamie and her sister. It made her feel good inside to know how much they both wanted Maggie and her to be protected. She smiled inwardly also at the fact that she knew that they were two people that could be counted on for anything.

"I'm going to head home," Kendall slung Miranda's bag on her shoulder. "Take my advice sis; go get some air, the both of you."

Bianca walked Kendall to the door, also smiling at a sleeping Miranda. "She'll probably be sleeping for the rest of the night, just so you know."

"Perfectly fine with me… Maggie needs this time with you," she looked over Bianca's shoulder. "Jamie, don't you have some studying to do or something?"

Jamie was shook out of his current thought when he heard Kendall grabbing his attention. "I'm sorry, what?" he goofily asked.

"I think what Kendall was saying was that maybe you should head to your place and umm… try being productive," Bianca laughed.

"Huh? Oh, yeah… big midterm," he shot up from the couch and toward the door. "Just be careful."

"We will," Bianca nodded. "And you sister of mine, take care of her okay?"

"You know I will," Kendall turned to leave.

Bianca closed the door and leaned back on it. She took a deep breath, perceived as what could be a sigh of relief. Yet after the past 24 hours, it could have very well been her exhaustion that was making itself known. But Bianca didn't let that stop her as she made her way to the bedroom and slowly pushed open the door.

"Maggie?" she walked inside, finding Maggie sitting in her bed, with the textbook open in her lap. Bianca also noticed how Maggie was struggling to keep her concentration on reading but to no avail she was not able to.

Bianca sat down in front and took the textbook away from her. "Grab your coat," she pulled Maggie up from the bed.

"Why?" Maggie looked at her with question.

"Because I want us to take a walk and well, we could use the fresh air," Bianca handed Maggie her winter coat, then proceeding to put on her own.

'_Fresh air, quite a concept but why now?'_ Maggie thought to herself. Deciding not to fight the suggestion, she went along with her. _'I guess it'll do me some good.'_

After walking for what felt like the longest twenty minutes of silence for both girls, they arrived at their destination. It was their safe haven and possibly the one and only place where solace was always sought the most whether it was together or separately. It was the spot that was held near and dear to them and the one place that could never be taken away from either of them.

Their walk had led them to the boat house.

Maggie sat down on the bench, wrapping her coat tight around her body. The cold air stung her face a little; most of all her eyes but that was only because of the amount of emotion she had experienced in the past several hours. She shivered slightly, covering her hands with her sleeves while silently cursing herself for forgetting her gloves back at the apartment. Yet somehow, Maggie tried not to let it bother her as she sat in silence, biting her bottom lip as she inhaled the cool winter air.

Her eyes would focus on nothing in particular, looking as if she was staring blankly across Willow Lake, lost in her own thoughts. The darkness that had enveloped itself around Willow Lake unsettled Maggie a little bit but she quickly got over that feeling when she sensed the presence of the person next to her. Somehow, in all of this, it was always Bianca's presence that seemed to soothing during her darkest moments.

Bianca placed her hand on top of Maggie's. "What are you thinking about?" she asked, hoping that maybe she'd get some more insight to what was going on inside of Maggie's mind.

"Different things I guess," Maggie replied. Her downcast eyes said so much, yet she was saying so little. "Mainly about the past couple of months."

"Like what?"

"It's all just jumbled up in my head right now and I'm trying to just sort it all out and," she shivered. "Sorry, my hands are just a little cold."

Bianca took her gloves off and handed them to Maggie, "Here take mine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, you look like you need them more than I do," Bianca smiled. "So what exactly are you trying to figure out?"

"How I ended up in the situation I'm in. Why I didn't have the common sense to see the signs of how dangerous Jonathan was becoming and most of all the choices I need to make." Maggie's hands were beginning to warm inside of Bianca's gloves. "It's a lot to take in or rather just comprehend."

"I know it's a lot but don't take it all on yourself at once," Bianca knelt down in front of Maggie, so that now she was looking up at her. "You can't undo what's happened with Jonathan and dwelling on those choices you made or should have made while you were with him won't do you any good. You need to look forward now and find a way to heal. And as you do that, know that I'm never going to leave you're side, that I will stand by you, always."

"I know," Maggie tilted her head and smiled.

"Oh look, there's that smile I love." Bianca stroked Maggie's face before getting up and sitting down on the bench again. "I know you're probably not ready to really talk about everything that happened in the last few months and I completely understand. But do you think you can promise me something?"

"What?"

"Don't shut me out okay? I don't want you to hold all your pain inside because you think it will just open some old wounds for me," Bianca focused her loving eyes on Maggie's. "I want you to be able to talk to me about anything. Don't you worry for one second that whatever happened to you, will only be a burden to me. No way, no how, will it ever be that way. I told you that we will do this together, and we will. I want to help you sort everything out, just like you did with me."

Maggie couldn't help but smile at Bianca, albeit it wasn't the same smile she always wore on her face but it was still as meaningful. "How did I ever deserve to be loved by someone like you?"

"You're just so darn cute and adorable, that's why." Bianca smirked. "I've always loved you; it has nothing to do with deserving to be loved."

Maggie moved closer to Bianca and leaned her head on her shoulder. "I promise I won't shut you out," she reassured her. She sighed before speaking again, "You know, David once told me about how he dreamed of having the whole picket fence deal, the big back yard, the willow tree… the kids running around," Maggie laughed slightly. "I know, it sounds like way out there."

"No… actually it doesn't," Bianca's heart warmed that Maggie was laughing. "I mean, I dream about that kind of thing too. I dream about it because of Miranda."

"It's a sweet thought."

"Yeah, it is," Bianca smiled. "Mags, are you thinking about?"

"I honestly don't know," her head was still leaning on Bianca's shoulder. "I mean, I look at your sister and I remember you telling me about how she dealt with the way she was conceived but then I look at Miranda and… I…umm…my thoughts just see-saw back and forth."

Bianca moved slightly causing Maggie to lift her head. "You know that no matter what you choose, I will love you no matter what," she said reminded her.

Maggie nodded her head. "I know," she replied. "Think you can do one thing for me?"

"Anything"

"Come with me when I see Maria Grey this week?"

"You don't even have to ask, I will be there with you, by your side," Bianca squeezed Maggie's hand.

Maggie returned the gesture and yet couldn't help but sigh. It didn't go unnoticed by Bianca causing a sense of concern to fill the moment.

"What are you thinking about now?" Bianca wondered.

"Thinking that even if I choose to keep this baby, how would I make sure Jonathan wasn't a part of his or her life?" Maggie's placed her hand on her stomach. "You heard him before; he's determined to be a part of its life no matter what he has to do."

Bianca pulled Maggie close, wrapping her arms around her tight. It gave Maggie a sense of peace to know that she was safe in Bianca's arms and at the same time to have someone in her corner.

"When you make the choice about what you want to do, then we will figure out something. We will take this one step at a time and you can count on me that whatever you choose, it'll be one that makes sure Jonathan Lavery is not a part of your life, not in any way, shape or form."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Mmmmm, smells like breakfast," Maggie was still lying in bed with a smile on her face. She knew that Bianca was responsible for the aroma that was entering the room. Perhaps what amused Maggie the most was how she could hear Miranda's giggles coming from the kitchen. It was one of the most soothing sounds for Maggie to wake up to and it definitely brightened up the beginning of her day.

It had been a couple of days since the walk they took the boat house. Maggie was sleeping a little better since that night, giving her some much needed solace. Yet sometimes that same solace wouldn't be of much comfort as Maggie still experienced her haunting dreams during certain moments. This time around though, she had someone there to keep her safe, calming her down and reassuring her that it was only a dream.

Maggie walked into the kitchen and found Bianca sitting at the table, feeding Miranda who was in her high chair. Immediately, she saw the reason for the baby girl's fits of giggles, noticing the mess of cereal that was on the tray in front of her.

"Messy breakfast?" Maggie sat across from Bianca. "It's no wonder that I could hear her giggling all the way in the bedroom."

"Things were going pretty well until this one right here," Bianca focused her eyes on Miranda. "Decided to get a little creative with her food."

"So I noticed," Maggie replied, peeking under the covered plate on the table. "Is this for me?"

"Dig in," Bianca nodded. "I'm going to wash her up and give her a change of clothes."

"Okay, I'll be right here," Maggie watched Bianca take Miranda back toward the bathroom. Her eyes wandered back to the high chair as she laughed at the mess that was left. After having finished washing all the dishes, Maggie sat down on the couch, making another attempt at getting some reading done. The past couple of days had been quite the challenge for her in terms keeping up with class work, but it was the semester so far as a whole that was an even bigger obstacle. Her performance last semester wasn't up to par with regards to her own standards and from the way things were looking at the present moment for Maggie, it was the same for the given situation now.

She was off to a good start until a sound in the hallway broke her concentration. Maggie looked toward the door where she heard the sound, wondering if there was someone lurking in the hallway. Slowly closing her book, she got up from the couch and made her way to the door. Opening ever so slightly and quietly, she saw that there was no one outside. Her eyes would wander down to the doorstep finding a single red rose and a note tied to it.

'_Why won't he just give up?'_

She picked up the flower, pulling the note so that she could read it. Maggie sat back down on the couch, silently reading the message that was written.

_Dear Maggie,_

_Why are you doing this to me? I don't deserve to be shut out from your life because I didn't do anything wrong. Please forgive me for being such the ass. I hope you can find it in your heart to at least let me explain._

_Jonathan_

She crumpled the note and tossed it aside. Staring at the flower in her hand, she cringed at the mere thought that Jonathan would never give up on her. It was practically at the point where he was becoming a thorn in her side as well as Bianca's.

It seemed that no matter what anyone told him, he still would not listen and simply plowed forward with the assumption that he'd be able to capture her heart all over again. And yet, what Jonathan could not realize was the fact that he was a danger, to himself and everyone around him.

Bianca came back out into the living room with Miranda. She noticed the rose in Maggie's hand, surmising that it was from none other than Jonathan. Placing Miranda on the floor to play with her toys, Bianca sat down next to Maggie and took the rose from her hand.

"He sure is persistent," Bianca remarked.

"Yeah well, the last one he left for me, I tossed it out the window."

"Oh"

"It's not the flower that bothers me. It's the notes that he leaves with them," Maggie picked up the note from the floor and handed it to Bianca. "This isn't the first time he's done this. It's like a pattern with him. He does it when he knows I'm pissed off at him. He thinks that by leaving this for me, it will fix everything."

"What he needs to do is realize that you don't want him in your life."

"If it were only that easy," Maggie sighed. "Nothing is ever easy when it comes to Jonathan."

"I realize that now," Bianca agreed. She felt Miranda's hands on her knees, the child holding herself up for support. "And it isn't going to get any easier."

"I know," Maggie tossed the note onto the floor. It managed to catch Miranda's attention, her eyes following to where the piece of paper landed. "Yet somehow, I wish it would get easier. I wish he would just understand that I want nothing to do with him."

Miranda's eyes remained focused on the piece of paper on the floor. Something about it interested her, making her want to go over and pick it up. She stood at her mother's knees, still using it as a way to find her balance. And then, without any thought Miranda dared to take the first step. She removed her hands from Bianca and took two more steps, then a third finally stopping at where the note landed and sitting down on the floor.

Maggie's eyes grew wide as she witnessed what happened before her. "Bianca, did you just see that?" she asked.

"Oh… my…" Bianca stared at her daughter. She indeed saw witnessed the same thing Maggie did. "Miranda just took her first steps!"

"She sure did," Maggie smiled. She got up from the couch and went over Miranda. "Hey girl, you can walk now huh? Let's see if you can do it again." She helped Miranda up from the floor, supporting her on both sides for balance, "Okay sweetheart, go to mommy."

Bianca held her arms out, with hopes that Miranda would walk right to her. "Come here, come to mommy," she smiled.

Miranda hesitated for a second before taking the few steps between Maggie and Bianca. She rushed right over and landed in Bianca's arms.

"Looks like we have a toddler now," Maggie sat down on the floor. "Man, she's going to get her hands on everything in sight."

"As if she doesn't do that already," Bianca kissed the baby girl on the cheek. "You can walk now. Your Aunt Kendall will be thrilled."

"I bet," Maggie agreed. As she sat on the floor, a calm feeling washed over her. She sat watching Bianca holding Miranda in her arms. The look in her eyes left her in awe, simply because of the bond that existed between the two of them. And it was then, when Maggie realized what her decision would be.

Bianca sat Miranda down on the floor and handed her a toy to play with. She looked up at Maggie and smiled, "I guess it's a milestone of a morning, isn't it?"

"Sure is," Maggie smiled, her eyes still focused on Miranda.

"Hey, are you alright?" Bianca tilted her head.

"What? Yeah… I'm fine.

"You look like you spaced out there for a moment. Are you sure you're okay?" she went over and sat down next to Maggie, both of them now watching Miranda. "She's one of the greatest gifts in my life, I mean next to you of course."

"That little girl is quite the miracle isn't she?" Maggie leaned against Bianca. "I know what I want to do."

Bianca wrapped her arm around Maggie's body. "And you're sure?" she asked. "I don't mean for you to start second guessing yourself. I was just wondering how you came to your decision."

"It was watching you with Miranda just now that helped me decide. Well, there are a few other reasons but it was these last few moments when I saw the way you were looking at her that I realized for myself that this baby inside me deserves a chance too," Maggie looked at Bianca. "I can't deny this child a chance at life just because of the way he or she was conceived."

"So you have been doing a lot of thinking," Bianca replied.

"Yes, more than you know."

"Well, I'm holding true to my word and you know I'll be by your side every step of the way," she pushed so hair behind Maggie's ear.

"I know you will," Maggie nodded, her face then filling with slight worry.

"Why the sudden frown?"

"How do we make sure Jonathan doesn't make my life a living hell now?"

He double checked the envelope, making sure that he had affixed a stamp in the upper right corner. After dropping it in the mailbox, Jonathan walked back to his car which was conveniently parked right across the street from where Maggie lived. He had left it there after dropping off the rose on her doorstep in hopes that she would at least forgive him for the scene at her apartment the other night.

The last thing he wanted was to upset Maggie even more. Little did he know that with each small gesture he did to try and win back Maggie, the more and more it seemed that he was bordering on obsession.

He sat inside his car waiting to see if she would come out and take a walk. He hoped that maybe if she did, that he'd get a chance to apologize in person, to explain for his idiotic actions. All Jonathan wanted was to talk to her but he knew that it would not be possible, especially with Jamie acting as her protector.

Finally giving up the wait, Jonathan started his car and drove away. He would find another time to talk to her, perhaps waiting a few weeks. What he didn't know was that a few weeks would translate into forever as Maggie had vowed for him to never have a part of her life ever again.

Greenlee knocked on Jonathan's bedroom door and waited. She wondered if she was the only one that was home, considering that Ryan had left earlier to handle some duties at Fusion. Surmising that Jonathan was not in his room, Greenlee pushed his door open slowly and entered.

"Okay Jonathan, what are you hiding in here?" she said, beginning to look around certain places in the room. "What secrets are you keeping from everyone?"

Greenlee would have no such luck in finding anything as his drawers were locked and had nothing left out in the open. All that could be found were pictures of Jonathan and Maggie taken during the short time that they were together. Suddenly, she felt the urge to check under his bed, wondering if he had anything stashed under it.

Her instincts would prove her right, as she found a large black case covered with a blanket. Greenlee pulled it out from under the bed and pulled off the blanket. She flipped open its latches and lifted its top to reveal what was inside.

"Oh my god," Greenlee gasped at what she saw before her. "That bastard really did shoot Ryan." She found it hard to contain her shock as well her fear at the fact that Jonathan was a danger to everyone around him. Her ears would perk up and when she heard the front door to the penthouse open. "Oh shit…" she muttered, quickly closing the rifle case, covering it and shoving it back under his bed.

Greenlee began to panic as she heard Jonathan's footsteps coming closer and closer toward his bedroom. She knew that there was no way she could escape without notice. Scrambling to find a place to hide, she opened the door to his closet and hid deep inside beneath all of his clothes. She began praying that he wouldn't open his closet door and find her lurking.

Jonathan entered his bedroom. He tossed his keys and cell phone next to him on his bed and laid back, closing his eyes. His quiet reverie would be interrupted right away with the ring of his cell phone.

"Hello?" he answered. "Alright Ry, I'll be right there. Greenlee? No, I haven't seen her… I'm sure she's on her way," he stood up and grabbed his keys. "No problem, I'll be there in a little bit," he said, ending the call and leaving the bedroom.

Greenlee didn't exit from the closet until she was sure that Jonathan had left. Finally opening the door, she quickly left his room. Outside in the hallway, Greenlee leaned against the wall and sighed. She shuddered at what she had discovered inside there, now having the solid proof that Jonathan was Ryan's shooter. The next question was, how would she and Kendall prove it?

_A few weeks later…_

"Well that was one cute birthday party," Maggie said to Kendall as they both collected the empty paper plates from the table. "Hey Jamie, we got one more slice of cake over here, you want it?"

"Hasn't he had enough cake?" Kendall laughed. "I mean, Miranda is lucky she got to have any of it, considering how most of it ended up on her face."

"Oh admit it, that was such a cute moment," Maggie smiled. "And how Bianca got it on herself too, it was a completely priceless."

Kendall was still laughing. "Yeah and now they're both getting cleaned up while we are left to clean up the mess out here."

"It beats having to clean up cake that would have ended up in our hair," Maggie replied.

"Good point."

Jamie came over to Maggie and Kendall, handing them his empty plate. "Mmmm, good," he rubbed his stomach. "Nothing like sweet chocolate cake," he said smiling from ear to ear. "Do you both still need some help?"

"Nah, we're good," Kendall grinned. "So, I didn't see Miranda open any presents from you James, don't tell me that you didn't get her anything?"

"Oh wait, I did. Let me run over to my place and get it," he whizzed toward the door and across to his apartment.

Maggie put the last of the garbage inside the bag. 'Hey Kendall, this is everything right?" she asked her.

"Yes, I think so."

"Okay, then I'm going to take this over to the garbage room," Maggie picked up the garbage bag and brought it out of the apartment.

"Okay."

She dropped the bag inside of the room and closed the door. Maggie became startled as she turned around and saw Jonathan before her. She tried to move but he stepped in her way, causing for no escape route.

"Get away from me," she stuttered, trying to mask the fear in her voice.

"Oh what's the matter? Are you scared of me now," Jonathan came closer to her, backing her up against the wall. "I just want to talk to you."

Maggie could smell the alcohol on his breath, surmising right away that he was intoxicated. "Why is it so hard for you to listen? You're drunk, just go home and stay away from me," she tried to duck under his arm but was only pushed back against the wall. "Please… just go," Maggie pleaded.

"I just want to talk," he gently stroked Maggie's face.

Jamie came out of his apartment holding Miranda's present, "I know it's not much but…" his eyes grew wide at the sight before him. "Get your hands off of her!" he pulled Jonathan back and shoved him against the wall.

Kendall and Bianca ran out into the hallway wondering what the commotion was. Both women gasped as they saw Jamie holding Jonathan, his hands with a firm grip on his collar.

"What the hell is going on?" Bianca immediately went over to Maggie. She noticed how visibly shaken she was, wrapped her arms around her. "It's okay, I got you," she walked Maggie over with her to where Kendall was standing.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from her?" Jamie angrily shouted into Jonathan's face. "It's not that hard to understand. But it seems that you don't. So I will tell you again, stay away from Maggie," he held him firmly against the wall.

Jonathan's breath escaped from his nose as he stared back at Jamie. "And what if I don't? What are you going to do next?" he dared to ask.

"Then we'll just have to do this again, only next time, I'll choke you like I did to my brother JR until you do understand. Now I'm going to let go of you and you will leave peacefully, you got that?" Jamie released his viper grip.

Jonathan rubbed his neck, "You can't protect her forever." He turned his head toward Kendall and Bianca, noticing that Maggie was nowhere in sight. "None of you can."

"Leave now before I have to show you out and it won't be through the door," Jamie issued his final warning.

"Fine, but remember what I said," he walked away, still stumbling from his intoxication.

Jamie walked over toward Bianca and picked up the birthday present he had dropped on the floor. "Here, this is for Miranda," he handed it to Bianca. "It's the books that my dad and mom used to read to me when I was a baby. Or at least it's what they told me they used to read. I want her to have it."

"Wow Jamie, thanks," Bianca took the present from him. "And thank you for ummm… handling Jonathan."

"I still can't believe that he's got the guts to come over here," Jamie still felt a bit of his anger in his body. "It's already enough, what he did to Maggie and now he won't leave her alone. The guy is bordering on a dangerous obsession."

"He knows there's a baby now and I honestly think that he won't give up until he's a part of that baby's life," Kendall's eyes were still focused down the hallway, hoping that Jonathan wouldn't come back for another round.

Bianca looked inside her apartment and into the living room. She saw Maggie sitting on the couch trying to calm her nerves after what had happened. A rush of worry ran through her body as she struggled to find a solution that would end this problematic mess.

"We need to do something," Jamie ran his hand through his hair.

"And what do you suppose we do?" Kendall asked. "Just pack up our bags and leave Pine Valley?"

Bianca's eyes were still focused on Maggie when Kendall's thought entered her mind. She knew it was a stretch but it seemed like a logical idea. It was one that could very well possibly keep Jonathan out of all of their lives. She knew it was a risk but it was one worth the taking.

"How soon can we do this?" Bianca knew that she was possibly insane for going with her sister's idea but at this point wanted to try anything, as long as it ensured that they were far away as possible from Jonathan.

"You seriously want to do this Bianca?" Jamie asked.

"I can find out if there are any places outside of this town and let you know," Kendall said, surprised that her sister was even considering her idea.

"Yes I want to do this," Bianca replied. "Look at Maggie right now, look at what he does to her every time he gets within 3 feet. This isn't doing her any good."

Jamie turned his head and saw what Bianca was looking at. "You're right," he sighed. "Fine, if it's what we have to do, then let's do it."

"We?" Bianca and Kendall said simultaneously.

"Yes, I said 'we'," he replied. "You are not going anywhere without me. I said I'd protect all of you and I will. Don't worry about school; I can swing a transfer to wherever we go."

"You sure you want to do this? Jamie, you're packing up your life and leaving Pine Valley," Kendall reminded him. "You have your mom and dad here."

"And you guys are my friends. I promised Maggie that I'd protect her and I refuse to break that. So face it Bianca, you, Maggie and Miranda are stuck with me," he grinned.

Bianca knew that she couldn't persuade Jamie out of his decision. She could see the care that he had in his eyes for Maggie and knew that deep down, he'd never want to abandon her. "Well, we could use a man around," Bianca gave in. "Fine, you can come along with us."

"Okay then, I guess I need to find a place for five?" Kendall surmised.

"Five?" Bianca asked.

"Yeah, well I'm going to need a place to stay too," she smiled. "You think I'd let you go anywhere without me?"

"But what about…" Bianca was cut off from finishing her sentence.

Kendall wrapped her arm around her sister's shoulder, "You leave this to me. Now go to Maggie, she needs you more than I do right now." She let go of Bianca, watching her go inside and sit down next to Maggie on the couch.

"So umm, Kendall, where is this new place or town you have in mind?" Jamie stood next to Kendall as he watched Bianca and Maggie.

"Someplace that's far enough, yet close for me to travel to Pine Valley every now and then."

"And where is that?" Jamie wondered exactly what Kendall had in mind.

"The one place where Jonathan will probably have the hardest time trying to find Maggie. None other than New York City.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Kendall and Jonathan exchanged looks as they passed each other in Fusion. She had just stepped off of the elevator as he was leaving the office. Before Kendall could get any further, Jonathan mumbled some choice words, causing her anger toward him to heighten slightly.

"You can't protect her forever," he muttered, passing by on his way out.

Kendall took in his words but decided not to pay him any mind. She simply brushed past him, going straight to Greenlee. As she turned around to watch the elevator doors close, she saw Jonathan staring back at her, reiterating with his eyes that he meant what he said.

"If looks could kill," Greenlee said, having witnessed the glaring exchange between her brother in law and her best friend.

"Yeah well, I wish I could just…"

"Kendall, don't even finish that thought," Greenlee stopped her from doing so. "Wait, what happened now?"

"Jonathan happened, that's what," Kendall sat down at the opposite side of the table. "He is really making Maggie's life a living hell. We were cleaning up from Miranda's birthday party and she went to throw out the garbage and there he was. Jamie took care of him though but still, no amount of warnings will be enough to keep him away," she sat back in her chair. "The guy is a danger, especially for Maggie."

"She's not the only one," Greenlee muttered under her breath.

Kendall sat up when she heard Greenlee's response. "I'm sorry what? What did you say?" she leaned forward, recognizing the look in her friend's eyes.

"I said, Maggie isn't the only one who is in danger," Greenlee looked around, making sure that no one else was around to listen. "I found the rifle that Jonathan used to shoot Ryan," she whispered.

"What? Where? When? And how, may I ask?"

Greenlee felt bad for not surrendering this information sooner. She figured that it was better late than never. "I was snooping around his room a few weeks ago…"

"A few weeks ago? And you kept this to yourself for how long?" Kendall asked, trying not to become angry. "Go on."

"And so, instinct told me to look under his bed and I did. I pulled out this case that was covered with a blanket and then I looked inside. What do I find inside but a high powered rifle," Greenlee explained. "I couldn't believe it but there it was, before my own eyes. Question is now, how the hell do we prove that he used that to shoot Ryan?"

"We need to figure out a way," Kendall brought her hand to her forehead and sighed.

"Kendall, are you alright? You look rather tired," Greenlee looked on with concern.

"I'm fine. This is just a lot for me to take in," she replied. "I spent this morning in New York City looking at some places to live and I haven't been too successful."

"You're moving and you don't tell me?"

"Yes and no. It's actually for Bianca and Maggie and Miranda of course, well and then there's Jamie and me," Kendall laughed at how Jamie and her were included in the venture. "Maggie needs to get out of Pine Valley to keep Jonathan out of her life. I'm going with them but more on a part time basis, spending time there and here. After all, you know…"

Greenlee nodded her head, knowing what Kendall was inferring to. "Yes, I know. Look at it this way; we've managed to obtain the crucial information, now it's how we prove it. I know you want to nail Jonathan for this and everything else he has done."

"More than anything," Kendall said with determination.

"It's going to be a bit of a challenge though, but I think we can accomplish it." Greenlee glanced at the sheets of paper on the table.

"True… so umm, do you know of any places to live in New York? I'm at my wits end and could use some help if you know of any," she hoped that Greenlee had some better sources in terms of finding living space.

"I can do you one better. You guys can have the place Leo and I were going to live in, had we moved to New York," Greenlee offered. "It's big enough for the four of you, plus Miranda."

Kendall was surprised, "I never knew you had a place in New York."

"Yeah well, Leo and I bought it on our honeymoon," she smiled, thinking about him. "We fell in love with it and just couldn't resist. The two of us wanted to make it home someday along with Paris. But now, I've got a home here with Ryan, so I think it'd be great if your sister and Maggie would have it. I know Leo would love that."

"Wow, I umm… thank you," Kendall stuttered.

"It's nothing," Greenlee smiled inwardly at what she had just done. "All you have to do is get the furniture out of storage and you're all set." She walked over and stood in front of Kendall. "I want to do this, for them, for you. And as much as I'll miss seeing you, Bianca and Maggie, at least I know you're all trying to keep her safe."

Kendall stood there not knowing what to say. She still found it amazing at how they both were able to bury the past and be friends again. It would warm her heart even more at the fact that Greenlee had just handed over her place in New York without a thought. Truly, this was the epitome of friendship at its best.

"I honestly don't know what to say," Kendall's was still stumbling with her words.

"Take care of your sister, your niece and Maggie and the future little Stone. That's all I ask for," she hugged Kendall. "I'm going to miss you."

Kendall wrapped her arms tight around Greenlee. "I will," a tear escaped from her eye. "But I'll be back every now and then. I'm not gone for good. We still have a plan remember and I'm not backing away from it. Ryan deserves to know what kind of brother Jonathan is."

Greenlee wiped her eyes and tried to smile. It pained her heart to know her closest friend was about to live a life in two cities but she also knew that this was what had to be done. "Yes, our plan, I will definitely do my part in it."

"Just remember, be careful," Kendall reminded her. "I don't want you getting hurt. I'd never be able to live with myself if something happened to you." She took hold of Greenlee's hand. "You're the closest friend that I have."

"I promise I will be careful," Greenlee reached into her bag and pulled out a set of keys, handing them to Kendall. "Here, these are the keys to the place in New York."

"You carry them with you?" Kendall asked.

"I check in on the place every now and then when I'm in New York for the campaign rollouts," she replied. "Plus, it serves as a symbolic reminder of Leo in a way."

"Oh"

"Yeah," Greenlee nodded. "So when are you all leaving?"

"I can't say. But once things have settled down a bit, I will call," Kendall explained. "I can't risk Jonathan finding out about any of this. You understand, right?"

"Totally understandable," she replied. "Listen, why don't you take the rest of the day to yourself. Start packing and tell Bianca and Maggie about the new place."

Kendall reached for her purse, "Are you sure?" She hoped her ears heard right.

"Go ahead… I have Simone here, somewhere, and Ryan should in soon. I have things under control."

"Thanks," Kendall smiled. "I'll never forget this."

"Just go," Greenlee laughed, watching Kendall enter the elevator, the doors closing in front of her. She sat down in her chair and sighed, "Leo, watched over them okay?" She hoped that he was listening for her plea of guidance.

"Yes I can't believe it either Binx," Kendall spoke into her phone. "Yeah, start doing that… okay… yes… I just have to take care of something first and then I will do the same." Her eyes peered into the room, noticing how he was waiting inside. "I gotta go. We'll talk more about this tonight. Oh and yes, Maggie will definitely love it, perfect way to cap things off. Talk to you later."

Kendall shoved her cell phone into her purse and looked up at the guard. "Okay, I'm ready," she entered the room and sat down across from him. Their eyes would immediately do all the talking as they gazed at each other in silence. She knew this was hard for him, being without her, his champion and possibly the only person that understood him. It pained her heart also seeing him this way. It was practically the same routine during every visit, consisting of the same, simple conversation between the two of them. Not much had changed at each visit but this time around, Kendall vowed not to make it like her previous ones.

"So how are things going these days?" he asked her. "How's Miranda?"

"Miranda is fine. She just turned one and is walking now," she replied.

"That has got to be a sight," he tried to crack a small smile.

"It really is."

And once again, the silence would cut between them. These awkward moments didn't bring any sort of solace for either of them, but for the sake of time, they didn't make it much of an issue.

"I have some news for you," Kendall leaned forward. "I'm going to clear your name and this time I mean it."

"And how are you going to do that? All of the evidence has been pointing to me," he replied, having lost all hope a long time ago.

"Maggie confided to me that it was Jonathan who shot Ryan. There's a long story behind it and I don't have time to give you all the details. I'm going to prove that it was Jonathan that did it," she watched his eyes fill with a glimmer of hope. "But I have to take care of a few things first."

"Like what?" he asked. "What kind of things?"

"I can't say yet but I don't want you to lose hope. I'm going to get you out of here. This whole prison deal isn't boding well on you."

He leaned back in his chair. For the first time in a while, he felt hopeful. He smiled at her, also wondering at the same time what she was up to. Still, no matter what it was, he knew that she was determined to pull through. Kendall had saved him once before and he had hope that she could do it again.

"I'm going to go," she extended her hand out for him to take. "I miss you, you know that."

"Yes," he nodded. "I miss you too. Take care of yourself," watching her stand up to go. "Wait, Kendall?"

She turned around to look at him.

"I love you."

Kendall had always hated this part of her visits. She tried not to let the tears escape as she smiled back at him.

"I love you too Ethan."

A few days had passed since Kendall told the good news to Bianca, Maggie and Jamie. They didn't waste any time packing, having begun that same night. Things were finally looking up for once and hopefully with this burst of optimism, it would give Maggie the much needed control in her life once again. Hopefully this move would be just what they all desired in terms of finding ways to heal and obtain a better lease on life.

Maggie stepped out of Maria Grey's office and laughed. She saw how Jamie had fallen asleep in his chair while waiting for her. It was an amusing sight for Maggie as she stood in front of him, watching him sleep with his mouth slightly open. His hair was tousled and covered most if not all of his forehead.

It was no surprise to anyone that James Martin had been neglecting his physical appearance as of late, most notably when it came to his hair. He hadn't cut it in weeks, simply letting it grow giving off a shaggy kind of look. Yet, he didn't seem to mind at all that his hair was growing out, feeling that it was time for a new look as well as giving off a sort of tough guy feel.

His lack of sleep however was a different story. It was attributed to the fact of his around the clock protection of Bianca, Miranda and most of all Maggie. He spent most of his free time with them and accompanied Maggie wherever she went that posed some sort of situation if Jonathan were to encounter her. Essentially, in addition to being the student and friend that he was, Jamie was their bodyguard.

Maggie couldn't take it any longer and decided to wake him. "Jamie, rise and shine," she tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

He sat up and pushed the hair away from his eyes. "Hey," he smiled. "All ready to go?" he asked, standing up from his chair and stretching his arms.

She nodded in agreement and laughed. "Jamie, you need a haircut," she suggested, her eyes becoming affixed on his hair.

Jamie laughed at her suggestion, "I so do not. I happen to like how my hair is growing out."

"It looks like a mess."

"It makes me look tough."

"Suit yourself," she still couldn't help but laugh. "I'm ready to go."

Jamie and Maggie walked out of PVH and toward his Pathfinder. He opened the passenger side first, letting Maggie in before going over to his side of the car. He quickly got inside and pulled out of the parking spot.

Maggie fiddled with the presets on his stereo, trying to find a radio station she liked. "Don't you listen to any normal stations?" she wondered out loud, as her fingers kept searching.

"Hey leave that alone," he gently swatted her hand away from the car stereo. "A man's stereo is his private domain."

"Funny, I thought that was the living room on Sundays."

"I love my stereo too," he smirked, keeping his eyes on the road.

Maggie leaned back in her seat, giving up on finding a radio station. "You know Jamie, I love you like a friend, practically like a brother but you don't need to be my personal shadow. I can take care of myself," she turned her head toward him.

"It's no problem," he waved his hand forward. "I want to do this."

"Just like you're uprooting your life in Pine Valley to move with Bianca, Miranda and me? Oh and Kendall too?"

"Mags, don't worry about me. Like I said, I want to do this for you. I said I would protect you," he smiled. "Besides, I took care of everything. I've got my transfer for school worked out, so there's no need for concern. You just focus on yourself and little Jamie Junior in there."

"Jamie Junior?' Maggie laughed. "Oh please, like I would name my child after you?"

"Hey, it's a thought," he smirked again, making the turn onto their block.

"Yeah, one that I will simply store in the ever infinite suggestion box," Maggie grinned back. "Ummm… Jamie?"

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say thanks, for everything you've done so far," Maggie's face was filled with nothing but gratitude.

"What are you thanking me for? You don't owe me anything," Jamie replied. "Besides, Bianca and you are going to have to put up with me when we get to New York."

"True… but still, thanks," she turned her head to look out of the window. "I can't believe we're actually doing this, moving to New York that is."

"And I can't believe that Greenlee handed over her place to us," he withheld his excitement as he drove. "Everything is packed and taken care of right?"

"Yes, it's all done. Maria Grey has arranged a doctor for me in New York and I managed to get some kind of leave from PVU. Don't know how long it's for, but I got it," Maggie replied.

"Good," Jamie put the car into park. He got out and went over to open the door for Maggie. He couldn't help but grin as he helped her out of the car. If there was one thing he wasn't good at, it was hiding the excitement on his face. But this grin wasn't from the fact that he was moving, it had to do with what was waiting for Maggie inside.

"James, why are you smiling like that?" Maggie looked up at him with worry. "Tell me."

"You'll see," he simply replied as they both entered their building and made their way inside.

The two of them exited the elevator and walked down the hallway, stopping in front of their respective apartments. He still wore the same smile, now waiting for Maggie to open her door.

"What?" she asked, still fishing for her keys.

"Forget the keys, just turn the doorknob. I bet you, it's already unlocked," Jamie reached for the door and opened it, revealing what was inside.

As the door opened, Maggie's eyes grew wide at the sight before her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing; the apartment was lit with candles and not a box in sight. Her eyes would wander from the blankets laid out on the floor in the living room over to the dining area where she saw a table set for two.

Tears filled Maggie's eyes as she stood in place. "How? When?" she could not find the words she wanted to say. A set of arms now wrapped themselves around her body, causing her to instinctively tense up. But when she heard the voice that spoke into her ear, she immediately relaxed into the embrace.

"I did this for you," Bianca whispered into Maggie's ear and smiled.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Maggie was in awe of everything around her as she stood in the doorway. She was still having a hard time trying to fathom some kind of reaction as Bianca was standing behind her, holding her close. What Maggie was seeing was almost like that of a romantic oasis, the ones that were only thought to exist in dreams or those cheesy love stories that were on TV.

But this wasn't a dream. It was perhaps the one thing that Maggie needed to remind her of how much Bianca did love her.

Jamie took this as his cue to leave, giving Bianca and Maggie their time alone. "You both deserve this time to yourselves, so I'm going to be across the hall making sure I didn't forget to pack anything," he walked backwards to his door.

Bianca turned around, "Jamie, Miranda is asleep in your room so keep an eye on her."

"Will do," he nodded and closed the door to his apartment.

She turned her attention back to Maggie who was now standing inside of their place, her eyes wandering all around. Bianca walked over to her, "I take it that you like?"

"I umm… you know, I don't even know what to say," Maggie couldn't help but smile. "It's beautiful. How did you find the time to do all of this?"

"Shhh… no time to reveal any of my secrets," Bianca led Maggie to the table. "Dinner awaits us."

Jamie walked into his bedroom quietly. He saw how Miranda was still sleeping and didn't want to make any noises that would wake the child. He checked all of his bags and boxes, making sure that there wasn't anything that he had forgotten to pack.

Miranda stirred slightly. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Jamie above her. Not knowing where exactly she was, her first instinct was to cry, and she did.

"Hey… hey… don't cry," Jamie moved closer to the baby girl. "Uncle Jamie is here," he picked up the one year old and held her. Soon enough the child's cries would cease, finding comfort in his arms.

"Yeah, well your mommy is spending some quality time with Maggie so that's why you're over here with me."

Miranda looked up at Jamie and smiled slightly. It was almost as if she understood what he said. Her hands wandered to his tousled hair, beginning to pull at it.

"Whoa, that's my hair," Jamie laughed. "Now I know you probably want me to cut it too but nope, not gonna do it. I love my hair and there's nothing you or Bianca or Maggie can do about it."

Miranda ignored his comment and kept on tugging at his hair. She smiled at Jamie as if she knew what she was doing.

"Okay, I have an idea, let's play a game," he placed Miranda down on his bed. "Why don't we play some peek-a-boo? That should keep your hands out of my hair," he grinned. "Ready?" he asked, watching the baby girl laugh.

"You know, I really envy you kid," Jamie spoke to Miranda. "I mean, you have to be the luckiest baby in the world right now with all the love that everyone has for you. There isn't a person in this world that doesn't adore you though, as much as Maggie does."

Miranda gazed at Jamie and smiled. It was as if her eyes lit up at the mention of Maggie. She giggled slightly, her feet popping at Jamie.

He blocked the child's foot from hitting his face. "I know your mommy adores you and I see that everyday. I mean, she loves you with everything she has but I don't know if you've ever seen how much Maggie loves you too. Heck, she's adored you since before you were even born."

Jamie sighed. "I'm really sorry kid, that you were trapped at my brother JR's house for all that time. I didn't know the truth until the clues kinda just fell in front of me. But you know, you're with your mommy now and that's all that matters right?" He smiled down at her. "Yup and pretty soon, you get to have your own best friend. Just like your mom has Maggie, you'll have your own friend too. Let's hope it's a boy though," he winked.

"And let's hope that Jonathan stays out of Maggie's life," Kendall added, standing at Jamie's doorway.

Dinner came and went for Bianca and Maggie, now finding themselves in the living room, surrounded by blankets and the dim candlelight around them. Their apartment was virtually empty, with everything packed away in boxes waiting to be picked up by the movers in the morning. All that was out were the blankets and pillows and cushions that they were lying on.

They found themselves huddled in the middle of the living room wrapped in each other's arms and taking in the peacefulness that surrounded them. All that could be heard was the music playing at a low volume.

Bianca leaned into Maggie, her head resting on Maggie's shoulder, "Hey, what's on your mind?"

"Not much really," she smiled slightly. She leaned back and closed her eyes, letting a small sigh escape. "Tonight just seems… I don't know. It's something that I haven't felt in a while."

"Felt what?"

"Safe. I feel like I have nothing to be afraid of for once," she turned and faced Bianca. "I don't know... it's just that I haven't well… ummm…"

Bianca smiled. She pushed away from hair from Maggie's face. "I understand. And I promise you, it will only get better from here on out." Reaching over for the remote, Bianca adjusted the volume on the music that was playing.

Almost like clockwork, the D.J. came on the air, "Valentine's Day may have passed us by over a month ago but the love never seems to leave the air. This next song is a dedication to Maggie Stone from Bianca Montgomery."

"What?" Maggie looked at the stereo. "Do you know anything about…"

"Shhh…" Bianca smiled.

"There's a little message attached to this request, 'No matter what life throws at you, know that I will always be your hero,'" the D.J. read. "Well Maggie, looks like you've got someone in your corner that will always love you. Here's to your 'Hero'."

"Oh how sweet," Jamie smiled, still busy playing with Miranda. He was listening to the same radio station. "You've got one very loving mommy," he said to Miranda.

**Would you dance if I asked you to dance?  
Would you run and never look back  
Would you cry if you saw me crying  
Would you save my soul tonight?**

Bianca searched Maggie's face for a reaction. She saw how speechless Maggie had become after hearing those words on air. "Say something," she whispered.

"You amaze me, do you know that?" Maggie looked down, her cheeks blushing from slight embarrassment.

**Would you tremble if I touched your lips?  
Would you laugh oh please tell me these  
Now would you die for the one you love?  
Hold me in your arms tonight?**

Maggie leaned her head into Bianca's neck. The music played around them but she didn't seem to notice it at all. She wanted to stay in that moment forever, the feeling of being safe with someone who loved her unconditionally. She closed her eyes as she inhaled the sweet perfume Bianca was wearing.

Bianca felt the weight of Maggie's body lean against her. Wrapping her arms around her, she pulled Maggie closer, feeling the warm breath from Maggie's mouth on her skin. Her fingers ran through Maggie's hair as she smelled the fruitful scent of Maggie's shampoo. Bianca wanted to stay wrapped up in this moment in time, knowing how it made Maggie feel safe, even if it was just for that night.

**I can be you hero baby  
I can kiss away the pain  
I will stand by you forever  
You can take my breath away  
**

Maggie didn't even realize the seconds that were passing by, or the music itself that was playing. It all had begun to blend together as she turned her face into Bianca's neck, her lips now resting softly on Bianca's warm skin. She could feel the warmness against her mouth, again inhaling the sweetness of her perfume. It all felt like a dream for Maggie but it wasn't. She was with Bianca and for the first time, felt the kind of love in heart that had been lingering for the longest time.

**Would you swear that you'll always be mine?  
Would you lie would you run away  
Am I in to deep?  
Have I lost my mind?  
I don't care you're here tonight  
**

She pushed away all the memories that were in the back of her mind. The moments when Jonathan had been sweet to her but resulted in nothing but pain. She began to bury the times when he had promised her that it wouldn't happen again, but did. Maggie wanted to get past those dark moments in her life, as she found comfort in Bianca's arms.

She pondered the thought of pulling away but found it hard to. Maggie knew full well that if she wanted to, she could lose herself in Bianca, not having to worry about anything else. Even if it was only for that split second or those few minutes, she wanted to feel like there was no one else in the world except for Bianca and her.

**I can be your hero, baby  
I can kiss away the pain  
I will stand by you forever  
You can take my breath away**

Bianca felt the heat rising within her. She felt Maggie's soft lips against her neck and wanted so much to turn her head and capture the warmth that was Maggie. It was what she wanted more than anything at the moment, to be able to express just how much love she felt for her.

The lighting around them began to dim as each candle had begun to extinguish itself, wax running out on each of them. All that was left were the two candles on either side of them.

Bianca still felt the warmth of Maggie's breath on her neck. It made it even harder to resist the temptation that had placed itself before her. She fought it as each second passed by not wanting to cross any boundaries with Maggie. Pondering the fact that maybe it was too soon to be this affectionate with her, Bianca pushed idea out of her head, she tried to ignore the temptation. Yet, the longer she felt Maggie's lips on her neck, the more Bianca wanted them to just linger there forever.

**I just want to hold you  
I just want to hold you  
Am I in too deep  
Have I lost my mind  
Well I don't care  
You're here tonight**

Maggie pulled her head away from Bianca's shoulder and looked up at her with tear filled eyes. Bianca's heart broke at the sight seeing the shades of feeling lost and unsure within Maggie's eyes.

"I would do anything for you, no matter what," Bianca whispered, her fingers swiping away the moisture off Maggie's cheeks. "I'd move heaven and Earth to give you whatever you need. It will be you, first, last and always," she reminded Maggie of the undying affection she had. "You and Miranda are the most important things in my life."

**I can be your hero, baby  
I can kiss away the pain  
I will stand by you forever  
You can take my breath away**

A smile had crept upon Maggie's face as she heard Bianca's words. They warmed her heart quite a bit, knowing full well that Bianca meant it all, each and every word. Never in her life did she believe for once that she would have been so lucky to have been blessed with someone like Bianca in her life. Maggie was truly realizing that now more than ever. It pained her heart even more as she thought about it. Deep inside, deep down she prayed that Jonathan would just disappear from her life, never to be bothered by him ever again.

"Bianca?" Maggie spoke softly.

"Yes, what is it?" Bianca asked.

"Can you just hold me? I mean not just now, but for all of tonight?"

"Anything… anything for you…"

**And I can be your hero  
I can kiss away the pain  
And I will stand by you forever  
You can take my breath away**

**You can take my breath away**

Bianca let her arms stay around Maggie, fulfilling her request to be held. She leaned her head closer to Maggie's so that their foreheads were pressed together, their lips so close that heat between them couldn't escape. Bianca smiled, pushing some hair behind Maggie ears before bringing her lips to meet Maggie's. The two of them shared in a long sweet kiss.

Maggie didn't pull away. Instead, she found herself becoming enthralled by the feeling of sweet surrender between Bianca and her. The emotions felt in both their bodies had now become that of a fervent release of love. It was one that would give way for the beginnings of a beautiful romance between them, as if it hadn't been in the air already.

It was a moment of love for the two of them. Forgetting how the world existed around them, Bianca and Maggie reveled in the passion and the innocence of what true love felt like. Bianca thought of nothing else except for how much she loved Maggie and how she would go to the ends of the earth to do anything for her.

The close feeling of intimacy didn't scare Maggie as she thought it would have. Her mind and her heart were focused solely on Bianca as it served as a way of feeling safer. The comfort of Bianca's arms around her and the softness of her lips only made Maggie want to lose herself more in the passion but not for the sake of being lost. It was because of how much she loved her.

Maggie found it hard to breathe. The connection that had surged through her body as she kissed Bianca was overwhelming. She felt Bianca pull away from the kiss, realizing that her eyes were still closed but a smile had managed to form on her face. The smile itself was proof positive that she had enjoyed what just happened.

She didn't want to open her eyes just yet, fearing that if she did there would never be a moment like that ever again. Yet, Maggie decided to quell her fear and open her deep brown eyes to find Bianca smiling back at her. It was then when Maggie had come to the realization that this was only the beginning of a blossoming love between them.

"Are you alright?" Bianca asked, her eyes searching Maggie's for some kind of reaction to the feelings coursing through her body. She was hoping beyond anything that Maggie had enjoyed that kiss as much as she did, if not more.

Maggie sat there, her eyes staying with Bianca's. The heat from the previous moment still remained within her, "Yeah, better than alright… better than I have ever felt in a long while."

**You can take my breath away**

**And I can be your hero**

Bianca smiled, bringing her hand to Maggie's face. She saw how a tear had escaped from Maggie's eye, wiping it away from her finger. She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Maggie's, "I love you so much Maggie."

Maggie smiled as she took in those words, now filling her heart. She remained there; her forehead pressed against Bianca's and took her hand. "I love you too."

The D.J. spoke again after the song ended, "Maggie, looks like you've got yourself some hero. Cherish that love you have with whoever it is, forever."

The two of them fell back onto the pillows still in each other's arms. The two remaining candles had now extinguished as they lay among the blankets, bathing in the moonlight from the window. The exhaustion from the day itself was now becoming apparent in both of them. Maggie lay in Bianca's arms as she closed her eyes. The connection she felt with Bianca was stronger than ever now, perhaps the strongest it had ever been.

Her eyes would soon become heavy as she lay there, feeling the warmth of Bianca against her. Soon Maggie fell asleep, with Bianca holding her close. Indeed she finally felt safe. And it was because of Bianca that her life that she was finally seeing the light out of the darkness she had been in.

All that mattered now as that she had Bianca in her corner that they had each other and their love to get them through anything.

No one, not even Jonathan Lavery would keep them apart ever again.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Bianca shut the car door after making sure Miranda was safely strapped into her car seat. She noticed how Maggie was standing in front of their building and proceeded to walk over to her. Wrapping her arms around Maggie, she kissed the back of her neck.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yeah, just about," Maggie sighed. "I wanted to get one last look before we left."

"We'll be back someday," Bianca replied reassuringly.

Maggie turned around and smiled slightly. "I know," she nodded. "But I also know that we have to do this." She reached down for Bianca's hand, "The important part is that I have you."

Bianca took Maggie's hand and kissed it. She then led her to the car, both of them entering on their respective sides and buckling up for the road trip. Miranda looked on at the both of them, giggling while also enthralled with the baby rattle she held in her hand.

Jamie packed the last box into the back of his Pathfinder and shut the door. He adjusted his Yankees cap, which was worn backwards to keep his hair out of his face and walked over to Bianca's car.

"Shall we get going" he stood at her car window, removing his sunglasses.

"I'm guessing we should," Bianca nodded. "Let's hit the road. After all, Kendall is most likely there by now."

"Considering how she left at the crack of down, yes," Jamie raised an eyebrow.

"Well then, it's time to hit the road," Maggie suggested from the passenger seat.

"We shall." Jamie smiled. "See you in New York."

Jonathan stood in front of the mirror buttoning his shirt. A new day was beginning and he figured that it would be better to try and keep his mind free of any thoughts regarding Maggie. Of course, that wouldn't last long as his eyes glanced down at the photo on the dresser. Picking it up, he smiled and sat down on his bed. As he continued to stare at the photo, it brought him back to the time when they first met.

"_And after happy hour, I'm going to get us some food. I'll even take requests, so I'll need a name first," Jonathan flashed his charming smile._

"_Maggie Stone"_

"_Hi. Hey, good name. Straightforward, I like it. I like you," he replied as he mixed a drink for her._

_Maggie couldn't help but laugh. Here she was, with a guy she barely knew and yet she was becoming a bit intrigued by his wit and charm. "You don't even know me," she said, trying to hide the grin on her face._

"_I know that you like chili cheese fries with cheese and would break down a door to get them," Jonathan watched her laugh again. "I admire that in a woman."_

"_And that's all you need to know?"_

Jonathan placed the frame back on his dresser and fixed his shirt. He followed the aroma of breakfast food leading him to the living room. Ryan was there sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee in his hand and his eyes on the newspaper. Sitting down across from him, Jonathan began to add sugar to his coffee.

"You got in late last night," Ryan spoke while still reading the newspaper.

"Yeah? Why? Is there a curfew I don't know about?" Jonathan wondered.

"Easy Hockett, I was trying to say that I heard you come in last night. That's all," he picked up his coffee and drank.

Jonathan sat back in his chair. "Oh, sorry," he apologized. "I'm sorry if I got all defensive. It's just that..."

"I reminded you of the old man huh?"

"Not really just that I was brought back to a time when he had said the exact same thing to me," Jonathan replied, all the while trying not to let the memories bubble to the surface.

"I take it that this was after I left?" Ryan leaned forward.

"A couple of years later. I was a Senior in high school... it was grad night," Jonathan's eyes began to seethe with hate. "You'd think, with it being graduation night that the old man would cut me a break but hell no. And I stood up to him. I told him that it was my life now and he had no control over it. He couldn't tell me what to do anymore."

Ryan's attention piqued at what his younger brother was telling him. He had never heard these recounts before and it was breaking his heart to see him this way. The vulnerability coupled with unresolved anger was seeping to the surface and it was evident on Jonathan's face. "You gotta let it go Jonathan," Ryan tried to bring his brother around the anger. "It's not worth holding it all in. You got out and that's all that matters."

"You don't get it Ry," Jonathan threw his hands up in frustration. "I've tried, I really have but you don't understand. You never will because you left us. You left Erin and me to fend for ourselves."

"I'm..." Ryan didn't even know how respond to him. He knew what Jonathan was saying was true. He left his younger brother and sister and never looked back. "I know that no amount of apologies can ever be enough to make up for all of our lost time but still... you're here now."

Jonathan looked up at Ryan. He felt his own anger burning in his eyes as he stared at his brother. The anger was scaring him more and more simply because of how he knew that his emotions always seemed to get the better of him. Jonathan calmed down after a minute and took a deep breath. Rubbing his face, he sighed. "What the heck is going on with me?" he asked. "I don't want to be like him. I cannot turn out like him."

"Hey, listen. You are not like him, never you hear?" Ryan assured Jonathan. It was more a statement than words of assurance. "I don't want you to ever think that way."

"Ryan, did you ever think that maybe the sins of the father are visited upon in the son?"

"What makes you say that?"

Jonathan pondered telling Ryan about what really happened in his relationship with Maggie. Part of him wanted to come clean, that maybe if he spoke to his brother about it, there would be a way to rectify things. Deep in his heart, Jonathan knew he did wrong by hurting Maggie. He never meant to but did and now he was paying the consequences. Or rather, what he thought to be the consequences. The other part of him wanted to hold back, to keep these deep secrets inside and not say a word. After all, if he did say something, it would mean implicating himself in the shooting and he didn't want that. Jonathan was now left in a bind as to what he wanted to do.

"Hey bro," Ryan waved his hand in front of Jonathan's face. "Hey..."

"Oh sorry," Jonathan shook his head. "Jumbled thoughts."

"Thoughts?"

"Yeah, just thoughts," he nodded. "Nothing major, I was just thinking about someone."

Ryan picked up his coffee mug and took a sip. "You need to get over her," he reminded. "What is so special about Maggie, if I can ask?"

Jonathan smiled at the thought of Maggie. "She was different," his eyes had a glint of happiness. "I mean, she like, totally got me."

"She... got you?" Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah and as twisted as it sounds, I really fell for her," Jonathan sat back again. "But then it all started to change and she started to change too and I... I don't know."

"Well, others do say that after you sleep with someone, everything changes," Ryan said, acting all big brother like.

"I don't know... but it was more than that," he stopped his thought. "You know what. I can't keep doing this... it only makes me even more hopeless and pathetic."

"That's right, move on," Ryan grinned.

"Yeah sure, move on," Jonathan stood up and went to grab his coat. "I'm uh... I'll be at Fusion if you need me. Work sounds like a really good distraction about now."

"I'll be there later."

"Alright," Jonathan nodded. "See you then."

"Wow," Jamie's mouth dropped at sight of their new living space. "This is some place that Greenlee just gave up for us." He walked further inside and stood in the middle of the empty living room. "Can you say huge entertainment center?"

"Can you say my poor ears?" Maggie laughed in reply. "Poor Bianca, Miranda and Kendall too, if we have to be subjected to your taste in music." She went over and pulled the Yankees cap off of Jamie's head, letting his messy hair loose. "Tell you what, if you cut your hair, maybe we'll let you have your entertainment center in here."

Jamie tilted his head at Maggie, "No way, I am not bargaining a haircut for an entertainment center. I can live without it, but my hair... uh uh," he shook his head. "My hair stays the way it is."

"Not even a trim?" Maggie begged. "I can do it for you, you know? Please?"

"Sorry Mags," Jamie put his arm over Maggie's shoulder. "The hair stays."

"It was worth a shot," she grinned.

"Hey Maggie? Jamie?" Bianca stood at the doorway, struggling with the box in her arms. "Could use some help here."

Maggie nudged Jamie, "What are you waiting for? Go help the woman."

"I was about to," he went over to Bianca, taking the box from her. "What's in here, bricks?" he said, complaining about the weight of the box in his arms.

"Just blankets," Bianca replied.

"From where? Siberia?"

It was then when Kendall emerged from the upstairs hallway, coming down the stairs with delight written all over her face. "Finally you guys are here! I was beginning to think that I'd be living here by myself. So where's Miranda?"

"Waiting for you in the car," Bianca smiled. "Think you can get her?"

Kendall didn't spare one second as she was out the front door and to the car. She couldn't resist any opportunity to hold her darling niece in her arms. It wasn't before long when she reappeared in the living room with Miranda, smiling. "It looks like the little one here likes her new place to live," she said bouncing Miranda in her arms.

"I still can't believe how Greenlee just gave this up for us," Bianca looked around in awe. "And it's complete with furniture too?"

"Yes," Kendall nodded. "In fact, I had the movers set it all up. The beds, the couches, it's all set. All you need to do is unpack your boxes."

"Sounds like a good deal," Jamie chimed. "Now if you ladies don't mind, I'm going to start unloading the boxes from my car." He started walking toward the door.

"Jamie?" Bianca called out.

"Yeah?" he turned around to see a set of car keys being tossed toward him, catching them in time.

"Think you can get the stuff from my car too?" she smiled innocently.

"Okay, but it's going to cost you," Jamie grinned.

"Fine," Bianca rolled her eyes. "Dinner is on me."

"I love it when I can wrangle a free meal. I'll be right back," he walked out the door.

Bianca turned back around, facing Kendall and Maggie. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go upstairs and start unpacking," she took Maggie's hand, leading her upstairs. "I want to see what the bedrooms look like!"

"Someone sounds like a kid at Christmas," Maggie commented as she was being pulled upstairs. "Excited are we?"

"Maybe a little," she smiled back, reaching the top of the stairs. "So Kendall, whose rooms belong to who?"

"Take your pick, Jamie's room is upstairs. He's got that whole top floor to himself. Although I might want to add, that room straight ahead," Kendall whispered into Bianca's ear. "That's the master bedroom."

Her eyes grew wide with curiosity when Kendall had whispered those words into her ear. She conveniently led Maggie down the hallway to the room, leaving Kendall and Miranda behind. As they entered the bedroom, the looks on both their faces could not be put into words, their only reactions being amazement and awe.

"It's breathtaking," Maggie's eyes roamed around the bedroom. "I now know why Leo and Greenlee fell in love with this place."

"Beautiful isn't it?" Kendall said, standing at the doorway. "Bianca, why don't I take Miranda to the park. The two of you can begin to unpack while I keep this little one occupied."

"Sounds like a good idea," Bianca agreed.

"Okay then, we will be back in a bit," Kendall turned around, leaving Bianca and Maggie alone in the bedroom.

Bianca walked over to Maggie who was standing by the window. She gleefully wrapped her arms around her soul mate, leaning her chin on Maggie's shoulder. "What are you looking at?" she whispered into her ear.

Maggie's fingers brushed along the windowsill. She loved how Bianca always came up behind her, feeling the warmth of her breath on her skin. She looked down and smiled at how Bianca's hands seemed to always land instinctively right on her stomach. She placed her hands on top of Bianca's and leaned back into the embrace. "Looks like we're home huh?" Maggie replied back. "Sure feels like home to me."

"Home," Bianca repeated. "I like the sound of that. Yes, we sure are home." Her eyes fell upon Maggie's hands noticing how they were placed on top of hers. "So Mags, you think it's a boy or a girl? Not that I have any preference or anything but I was just wondering if you were wondering," she laughed. "Did I just say that?"

Maggie turned around and leaned on the windowsill. "You what's funny? It's how I just understood that Bianca-ese," she brushed away some hair from Bianca's face.

"Bianca-ese?"

"Yes, you heard me right," Maggie smiled. "As for if it's a boy or a girl. I'm hoping it's a girl so that Miranda can have a best friend to grow up with. Just like I have you."

"Umm girls? Sorry to interrupt the mushy moment but can you tell me where to put these boxes?" Jamie stood at the door, holding two boxes in his arms.

"Just put it right by the door," Maggie replied. "I umm... I guess we should really unpack now," she looked at Bianca and laughed.

"So I have a question," Jamie asked after putting down the boxes. "Where's my room?"

Bianca and Maggie looked at each other and grinned before turning their heads to Jamie. "Should I tell him or you?" Maggie laughed slightly. "You can tell him if you want."

Jamie raised his right eyebrow wondering why they were giggling. "Umm... tell me what?" he looked at both of them, hoping that either Bianca or Maggie would say something. "Don't tell me that I'm living in the bathtub."

"No, actually your room is," Bianca pointed toward the ceiling. "Kendall told me that she had your room set up, upstairs."

"You mean in the attic?" Jamie looked up. "Well, I guess it has its perks."

Maggie walked over and wrapped her arms around him, "Look at it this way James, at least you get some privacy. I hear that you've got your own bathroom up there."

"Yeah," he nodded. "You're right... plus, at least I won't be fighting with the two of you about who spends more time in the shower," he grinned, until he felt Maggie smack him in the back. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"Sorry, reflex."

"Sure it was. Now let go of me so I can go fix up my room. Or shall I call it, casa James Martin."

Maggie let go of her hold around Jamie. She walked back toward Bianca and sat down next to her on the bed. "Wow, Greenlee sure went all out. New beds too," she noticed the firmness of it. "Remind me to send her a thank you card for all of this," she stopped mid-sentence. "On second thought, maybe not."

"Why not? I'm sure she'd love the gesture," Bianca moved closer to Maggie.

"Because, we can't risk Jonathan ever finding out where I am," Maggie's gaze turned toward the window as she tried to push the thought of him out of her mind.

Jonathan piled all of the folders neatly on the table at Fusion. He checked his watch and noticed that he had spent practically the whole afternoon in the office. Albeit, for him it turned out to be a productive one, accomplishing more than he ever did on a normal day. Smiling inwardly, he felt proud of himself. He was finally proving to Ryan that he was indeed capable of getting a job done, even if he had fibbed about his schooling to begin with.

As Jonathan was cleaning up the loose papers on his desk, he came across a photo that was buried under all of his work. He picked it up and sighed, staring at a photo of he had taken of Maggie. She was smiling from ear to ear and had ice cream all over the tip of her nose. He remembered when he snapped that picture from one of their crazy late night trips to get a snack. It had been the first night he moved in with her and recalled how they were both starving after having unpacked his stuff.

_Jonathan sat on the couch, amused as he watched Maggie licking the ice cream from her cone. "You know, you make eating ice cream like… seem like such an art form," he smiled at her, adjusting his position on the couch letting Maggie drape her legs over his._

_"Art form, oh please," she chuckled. "Ice cream is requires no kind of art, just simple lick of the tongue, see?" she took another lick of her ice cream. "You want some?"_

_"No thanks."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Yeah I'm sure."_

_"Okay, but don't say that I didn't offer, because I did," Maggie grinned with delight._

_And that was when Jonathan couldn't resist. He had been observing her for the past minute, waiting for the perfect time. "Maggie, umm... you got something on your nose," he hid his mischievous grin._

_"Where?" Maggie asked._

_"Right there," he slowly pushed Maggie's ice cream cone, to the tip of her nose covering it with the sweet treat. He couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."_

_Maggie couldn't come up with any sort of reaction to what had just happened except to laugh. She watched as Jonathan pulled out a disposable camera, snapping a quick shot of her with the ice cream still covering her nose. "Ordinarily, I'd be waging a food fight but since I'm enjoying this ice cream, I won't," she leaned closer to his face and kissed him, all the while smudging the ice cream that was on her nose against his face. "Okay, now we're even," she grinned._

_"Touché," Jonathan said, reaching for a napkin to wipe his face. He then brought the napkin to Maggie's face and wiped the ice cream from the tip of her nose. "You know, I'm glad that I moved in with you. We get to spend more time together. It makes me only fall more in love with you."_

Jonathan was brought back to reality when he heard the elevator doors open. He looked up and saw Greenlee entering the office wondering what brought her by on a late Saturday afternoon. "Greenlee, surprised to see you here on a weekend," he placed the photo back on the desk and fixed the pile of papers in front of him.

"I could say the same thing to you," Greenlee said, beginning to sift through some file folders. "I'm just here to pick up some paperwork and then I'm heading back home."

"Oh alright," he grabbed his jacket and walked around the desk. "I'm gonna get going. I guess I'll just see you back at home."

"Yeah sure," she replied, watching Jonathan enter the elevator. After the doors closed, she rushed over to his desk and began looking through the files. "Okay, I want to know what you're up to and why the heck you were working on a Saturday. There is no way I am going to let this company tank if you're doing something to ruin it."

Jonathan soon found himself standing in front of Maggie's building. The sun had just set as he proceeded to enter and make his way up to the hallway of her apartment. He noticed that Jamie's car wasn't parked outside, surmising he was not around protecting Maggie. Jonathan took this as his opportunity to be able to see Maggie without any kind of interference. He stood at her doorstep and knocked on her door.

After a minute, he knocked again wondering why there was no answer. "Maggie? It's Jonathan. Open the door please?" he said in a gentle and non-threatening tone. "I was wondering if we could talk."

"Are you here to check out the apartment?" a voice said from behind.

Jonathan turned around, "I'm sorry?" He looked at the older man, perplexed.

"I asked if you were here to look at the apartment. The girls who used to live there moved out just recently," the older man replied. "Such sweet girls too."

"Moved out?" Jonathan tried not to act surprised. "Um yeah, I'm here to look at the place, if you don't mind."

"No, not at all," he went in front of Jonathan and unlocked the door. "I hope it's to your liking."

Jonathan walked in to the apartment and saw how bare and empty it was. "Do you umm... mind if I took a look around," he asked the older man.

"Sure, take your time. I'm in 312 if you are interested in moving in.

"Thanks," Jonathan nodded, watching the older man leave him alone inside. He turned walked around the empty space, seeing that everything was gone and not of trace of Maggie in sight. He checked her bedroom only seeing how the bare mattresses were left and nothing else. Walking back into the living room, he stood at the counter and chuckled, "Maggie... Maggie... where could you have gone?"

Maggie shook her head as she sat down on her bed. She managed to unpack all of her boxes except for one, laughing as she stared at it. '_I am such a packrat,'_ she thought to herself, now wondering where in the world she would store the rest of her stuff. Deciding to give up for the time being, Maggie lay back on the bed and smiled.

"Home," she sighed.

"And a big one, if I may add," Jamie entered the bedroom and sat at the foot of the bed. "Bianca told me to tell you that she went out for a food run. Food to stock up the kitchen and fridge that is."

"Oh, alright," Maggie sat up. She kicked off her shoes and brought her feet up on the bed. "Are you all settled in?"

"Pretty much," he replied. "It's roomy up there. You should go check it out."

"I will. A bit later tough, I'm just feeling a little tired," she leaned back on the pillows. "It's been a long day, exciting, but long."

"Yeah, it has huh? Do you need me to get you anything?"

"No, it's okay. Your company will do just fine."

An unexpected silence managed to seep its way into Jamie and Maggie's conversation. The two of them sat there not knowing what to say next. Maggie's gaze shifted toward the window while Jamie's gaze was focused on her. He pondered to himself of whether or not this was the right time to bring up the subject he wanted to talk about with Maggie, wondering if she was ready to talk or not.

"Hey Mags?" Jamie broke the silence. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure James, what is it?" Maggie gave him her undivided attention.

"Actually, it's not a question more like I wanted to say that I'm sorry," his voice was filled with guilt.

Maggie tilted her head at him, "Jamie, where is this coming from? I don't quite understand."

"For bailing on you, for leaving, when you pleaded for me to stay, I am sorry for doing that to you," he apologized. "I mean, if I knew what was going on with you and Jon…"

"Jamie don't," Maggie stopped him. "There was nothing you could do because the chaos of my life didn't start until after you left. I had begged for you to stay then because it felt like everyone was bailing on me. I felt like I was losing touch with everyone around me. Your running away to be with Babe was kinda the icing on the cake."

"Oh?" Jamie became rather interested on where Maggie was taking the conversation. He didn't want to push her into talking about something she didn't feel comfortable talking about so he just let her lead the conversation. And in this process he hoped that Maggie would open up a little more about her time with Jonathan.

"The icing on the cake? How so?" he asked.

"Bianca came by to see how I was and she could tell right off the bat that I wasn't taking it too well," Maggie remembered the day like it was yesterday. "We managed to bond all over again and promised each other that there would be no more goodbyes."

"So you guys made up or something?"

"You could say that," Maggie replied. "I mean, she was really ticked off at me after the whole burning incident that Jonathan caused but we got past that. We wanted to make sure our friendship stayed intact." She adjusted her posture on the bed and leaned back on the pillows again. "Jonathan came back and that's when I think he started playing the mind games. I mean, he knew what buttons to push when it came to setting someone off. With Bianca, he pushed the whole Ethan subject."

"Sounds a lot like manipulation to me," Jamie surmised, continuing to listen to Maggie.

"Manipulation is an understatement. It was more like he was letting me make the choices as long as the choices were the ones he could be happy with."

Jamie heaved a deep sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "I just wish I could have been there for you. Be the friend that you needed," he lamented. "So much for the choices I made. I was too blinded by love."

"As was I," Maggie concurred. "I too was blinded by love, or rather how he said he loved me. I have no idea what got into me at that moment but I had suggested that I would see Bianca less so that he wouldn't be so jealous."

"Whoa, that was some choice you made there." This was the first time he ever heard Maggie talk about this. "What made you want to do that? Wait, don't answer… we all know the end result anyway. You still couldn't stay away."

"Yeah," Maggie nodded. "And I paid the price for it too," she tried not to recall the painful memories of when Jonathan had seen her talking to Bianca after agreeing to see less of her. "But it was partly my fault. I should have just heeded my own advice."

"Now you stop right there," Jamie didn't want Maggie to go any further. "Bianca is your best friend and nothing anyone says or does could ever keep the two of you apart. Jonathan is the person to blame, not you. He was the one that created the rift. It was not anything you did."

"Yeah, well look where it got me," Maggie sighed. She cast her gaze away from Jamie and down toward the bed.

Jamie reached over and pushed Maggie's chin up. "But you also knew when enough was enough and you ended things," he said consolingly. "The important part right now for you it to look ahead and not think about the past. You have me, Kendall and most of all Bianca. Oh and little Miranda too," he grinned. "And don't forget the Little Stone on the way."

"He's right," Bianca chimed in from the doorway. She walked over and sat down next to Maggie. "You will always have me," she said, allowing Maggie to lean on her.

Jamie took this as his cue to leave. He got up and exited the room, giving Bianca and Maggie some time alone. After checking on Miranda, Jamie made his way downstairs and found Kendall sitting outside on the steps. Grabbing his coat, he went outside hoping Kendall would appreciate the company.

"Is this spot taken?" he asked her.

Kendall looked up at him and smiled. "Not that I know of," she replied. "Have a seat."

"Nice night isn't it?" Jamie commented as he sat down.

"The city sure is beautiful at night," Kendall dug her hands inside her coat pockets. "I also never realized how cold it could get too."

"I'm sure we'll all get used to it."

"You might, I don't know if I can," she chuckled. "You know what, I don't know if I've said thank you yet."

Jamie raised an eyebrow, "For what?"

"Just being you."

"It's nothing," Jamie began to blush. He was beginning to notice how his heart was racing as she sat next to her. "I mean, I… uh…I just want to make sure Maggie is safe," he replied.

"Well, I'm glad we have you around," Kendall placed her hand on top of Jamie's.

Jamie sat there next to Kendall wondering what was going on inside of him. He had never felt this feeling before but somehow, there was something inside him that was compelling him to just take a dare. He looked and Kendall and smiled, trying to fight the temptation that his mind had been speaking. Suddenly, he found it hard to fight as he now found himself leaning forward, his lips meeting hers.

Jamie honestly didn't know what got into him as he now was kissing Kendall, all thoughts and inhibitions thrown completely out the window or in the present case, thrown to the sidewalk. His lips were still lingering on Kendall's until she suddenly pulled away.

"I am so sorry," he immediately apologized. "I did not mean to do that. I'm so sorry… Kendall…" he shot up from his spot on the steps and paced in embarrassment.

Kendall couldn't find any words to react with nor did she even have any time to form a reaction when Maggie, Bianca and Miranda in tow appeared at the top of the steps. She still had her hand on her lips while watching Jamie silently chastise himself for what he had just done.

"Hey guys," Bianca eyed her sister and Jamie. "I was thinking that we should to grab some dinner. There's this great diner I found a few blocks from here." She walked down the steps.

"Sure, that sounds great. Dinner sounds like a good idea," Kendall stood up from the steps. "I was starting to get hungry anyway. Lead us to it sis," she eyed Jamie, giving him _a 'we need to talk later'_ look.

"Alright, let's go," Bianca started walking, with Kendall following close behind her.

Jamie began walking and was joined by Maggie at his side. He was still feeling the embarrassment of kissing Kendall, not knowing what compelled him to have done that. As he kept walking, he could help but notice the way Maggie was looking at him.

"What?" he asked.

"You did something you shouldn't have. I know that look on your face," Maggie chuckled as she walked next to him. "Please don't tell me that you did what I think you did."

"Did what?" Jamie hoped that she hadn't seen what happened.

"James, you know Kendall is in love with Ethan," Maggie reminded him. She chose not to say that she saw the kiss he had planted on Kendall's lips. "Off limits…okay?"

"What makes you think I kissed her?"

"Because my friend, you've got some lipstick smudged on your lips," she handed him a tissue and grinned. "Just leave her be okay? You'll find your dream girl one of these days. I know you will, but trust me, it's not Kendall. Now wipe off the lipstick before Bianca suspects something."

Jamie took the tissue from Maggie and wiped his mouth. "Thanks Maggie," he tossed the tissue into a garbage can as they walked.

"Look, it's the least I could do. I mean, you're here keeping me safe. So I figured I'd return the favor by watching out for you. Now let's walk a bit faster, because I am starving!" Maggie sped up and joined Bianca, Miranda and Kendall who were a few steps ahead.

Jamie was still hanging back a few steps from the girls as they walked. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"This… is going to be one heck of an adventure."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Jamie took a bite into his hot dog as he sat on a park bench in Washington Square Park. There had been a noticeable improvement in the weather over the past couple of days and it gave him hope that maybe life in New York wouldn't be so bad after all. He looked back at the buildings behind him, still feeling a little culture shocked after meeting with an academic advisor about his transfer. Since it was already late in the semester, he wasn't able to get into any classes but was offered the opportunity to audit them in preparation for the Fall. Thinking that it would be to his advantage, Jamie accepted the offer being as how this wasn't PVU he was attending anymore.

Jamie Martin was now in the big leagues, a student at New York University.

As Jamie continued to sit on the bench, his mind floated back to the other night, when he kissed Kendall. He couldn't figure out what had gotten into him and still felt a pang of guilt inside for doing it. Since that night, he made every effort to avoid Kendall but also knew that sooner or later he'd have to talk to her.

Adjusting his Yankees cap, Jamie leaned back on the park bench and sighed. He thought about Pine Valley and wondered if Jonathan knew about Maggie being gone. Part of him hoped that he didn't know yet but there was another part of him that began to worry, having a feeling that Jonathan knew already. Fear and concern seeped into Jamie's mind as he began to worry if Maggie would ever be safe.

He looked over at the hot dog vendor again, fighting the temptation to purchase another one being as how one simply wasn't enough to quell his hunger. _'They're only a dollar and they are quite tasty,' _he thought, checking his pockets for some money. _'Just one more and I think I'll be good until dinner.' _He got up and made his way over to the vendor.

The sunlight obstructed Jamie's vision was he walked over to the hot dog vendor causing him to accidentally collide with a girl who was coming the opposite way. He managed to knock over her books in the process making this his number two most embarrassing moment of the week.

"I am so sorry," he apologized. "Here, let me help you." He reached down and picked up the books, his eye catching the title of one of them. "Interesting array of books you have here."

"Yeah you could say that," she smiled.

"Hey, I'm sorry for walking right into you. The sunlight was blinding me," Jamie fixed his hat and glanced down at the ground to make sure he had picked everything up. "I'm not quite used to how bright it is here in the park."

"You'll get used to it. It took me a little while but I did," she replied. "I guess I should really keep these books in my bag. Helps to umm… avoid these kind of head on collisions, do you think?"

"I guess it would. Need some help?" he offered, extending out his hands.

"No, it's perfectly fine. I got it," she said, zippering her bag and then looking up at Jamie again. "So let me guess, you were about to go get a hot dog from Wayne over there."

"Wayne?"

"Yeah, he's the resident hot dog vendor around these parts. Makes a bundle during the day from all of us, I mean, being how us college kids can't really afford much these days. You know pricey the city can be."

"I bet," Jamie nodded, seeming to lose his craving for the second hot dog. "You will probably laugh at what I'm about to say but I've never really had a New York hot dog before."

"Let me guess. You aren't from around here are you?" she laughed.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Not really… well maybe, yeah. But you're doing a mighty fine job of trying to show that you are from around here," she reached up for Jamie's cap, his hair falling loose in the process. "The Yankees hat is a nice touch. And the hair, well let's just say that I won't comment."

"What is it about everyone and my hair these days?" Jamie took his cap back from her and placed it back on his head.

"I didn't say that I didn't like it. I happen to think it's a nice style you got going."

"Thanks."

"Anytime," she said, adjusting her bag. "Say, I was about to head over to this diner up the street to get something to eat. You want to join me? If you don't it's fine. I don't blame you if you aren't comfortable eating with a total stranger."

"No, it's cool," Jamie nodded. He pulled his sleeve up to check his watch. "It's not like I'm in a rush to get anywhere."

"You're done for the day with classes?" the mystery girl asked him.

"Actually, I'm not exactly a student here yet. I did meet with an advisor today and he told me that I could sit in on some classes. You know, to get a feel for how things would be like when the Fall semester rolls around," Jamie began walking. He couldn't help but feel pulled toward her, feeling some sort of spark or interest.

At the same time, there was something about her that reminded him of someone. He couldn't place a finger on it yet but the charm and personality that radiated from this mystery girl was enough to leave him enthralled.

"Oh now I know where I recognized you from," she pointed at Jamie. "You were sitting in the back of Professor Andrews' class today. I knew I remembered your face from somewhere."

"If you're talking about the storyboarding class from this afternoon, then yeah that was me," he smiled. "I thought I'd see what I would be in for later this year."

"Ah, film student?"

"I've had some interest in it recently. I took some classes here and there but I guess I'm also still trying to feel my way through," Jamie said, walking toward Christopher Street. "I'm not really a film student yet or a student in anything."

"Well, NYU is the perfect place to find where your ambition is at."

"Sure seems like it. I'm still trying to adjust to all these buildings around here."

"First time New Yorker?" she asked while guiding him down the street.

"If I say yes, do you promise not to laugh?" Jamie asked sheepishly.

"I promise I won't laugh," she held up her hands. "I can say almost the same thing. I've only been living here since last summer. You'll get used to it though. Sooner or later you'll be mastering the subway system too."

"So that's what it's called?"

"Yep, subway… the way to get around this insane yet exciting city."

"I take it that driving from place to place is unheard of?"

"Not quite, I mean yes, people do drive around but you need to have bundles and I mean bundles of patience," she advised, turning the corner as they reached the diner.

"Guess there's a lot of things I need to get used to if I'm going to be able to cope with living around here," Jamie reached for the door. "After you."

"Such a gentleman."

"I like to think I am," he said, following her inside. "So I never quite got your name. I'm Jamie by the way." He sat down at a booth with her and took the menus from the server.

"Well Jamie, it sure is nice to meet you," she extended her hand out. "As for me, well I'm Erin," she replied with a smile. "And it looks like I'm going to be your guide to adapting to life in New York."

* * *

"Jonathan?" Greenlee stood at his door wondering if he was inside. "Hey Jonathan are you there?" she knocked once again before turning the doorknob to open his door. She poked her head inside and saw he wasn't there. "You know Jonathan, sometimes you make this a bit too easy for me."

Ryan was walking down the hallway when he noticed his wife inside of his brother's room. "Honey?" he looked at her questioningly. "Why are you in Jonathan's room?"

Greenlee needed to come up with an answer and fast. Her mind raced through possible answers but none of them seemed feasible. So she blurted out the first thought that came to mind, "I was umm… I was looking for the latest Enchantment campaign projections. I was hoping that Jonathan had them here since I couldn't find them at the office." She took a deep breath hoping that he would believe her.

"Oh, well I have a copy in the living room if you need them," Ryan replied. "I made sure to print out an extra before I left the office on Friday. Come on, you can look over the numbers with me."

"I'll right there," Greenlee's eyes glanced around the room quickly. She noticed Jonathan's drawer on his nightstand was somewhat open.

"Alright," he walked away, leaving Greenlee alone again in Jonathan's room.

Greenlee brought her hand to her forehead and sighed. She knew that what just happened was a close call and definitely didn't want to ever have an experience like that ever again. She quickly went to Jonathan's nightstand and pulled the drawer open. Looking inside, she saw a pile of letters addressed to him but whoever was sending them only wrote a return address leaving out their name.

"Who could these be from?" Greenlee whispered out loud. She took a closer look and noticed the return address. Her eyes grew wide seeing where the letters were being sent from.

"New York," she mumbled to herself. "Who the hell does he know in New York?" She pulled out one of the letters from its envelope and skimmed it over. The phrase, 'ghosts of your past,' jumped out at her, leaving her to wonder if Jonathan had even more skeletons in his closet hidden.

'_Is there more about you that we don't know?'_ Greenlee thought to herself as she carefully placed the letter back in its envelope and on top of the others in the drawer. She pushed it shut and got up to leave his room. As she closed the door behind her, Greenlee was left to wonder what else Ryan's younger brother had to be hiding and who it was that was writing to him from New York.

Her concern would shift to Maggie, hoping that she was living a better life in New York, one without the threat of Jonathan in her life. She thought about Bianca and Miranda hoping that they too were living a happy life with Maggie. And then her mind was brought to Kendall, still missing the presence of her friend dearly. She hadn't spoken to Kendall since that day at Fusion and was wondering when she'd be receiving a phone call to let her know that things were okay.

As she continued to walk toward the living room, her thoughts circled back to Jonathan. Clearly, there was something more that he was hiding and it was big. With every clue Greenlee was uncovering, it was leading her to find out more and more about who Ryan's brother really was deep down and admittedly it was also scaring her.

* * *

The afternoon quickly turned into night as the city lights of New York illuminated the streets. Jamie entered the house and made his way upstairs to his room. As he climbed the steps, he saw how the light in Kendall's room was still on. Deciding that it was best not to wait any longer, he approached her room and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Kendall called out.

Jamie pushed her door open and stuck his head inside, "Hey Kendall… about the other night, I umm… I want to apologize for it. Really, I didn't mean to kiss you."

"I know you didn't," she replied. "But I want to apologize too."

Jamie pushed the door open further and leaned against the doorway. He removed his cap, running his fingers through his hair. "What is there to apologize for?" he asked. "I was the one who kissed you."

Kendall stood up and walked toward Jamie. She stopped right in front of him, "I'm sorry if I gave off any signals that made it seem like I was flirting with you. It's just lately, I've been missing Ethan a bit."

"Quite understandable, how's he doing though?"

"I told him about Jonathan admitting to being the one who shot Ryan."

"I bet he was thrilled,"

"It gave him some hope," Kendall's eyes fell upon of picture of Ethan on her dresser. "Greenlee is working on finding some solid proof that could be used to nail Jonathan for it. Other than finding the rifle, there isn't much yet."

"Well, I'm sure she'll find something," Jamie said reassuringly. "Speaking of Greenlee, you might want to give her a call. You know, just to give her a heads up that things are okay."

"Thanks for reminding me," she reached for her cell phone.

"It's what I'm around for," Jamie smiled. "So, we're square on what happened the other night?"

"I think so," Kendall noticed a slight glow on Jamie's face. "You're looking kinda, what's the word… chipper."

Jamie tried to hide the grin on his face. "I had a really good evening, that's all."

"You met a girl eh?"

"Yeah," he smiled before walking away. "Good night Kendall."

"Night," she said, hitting the speed dial for Greenlee on her phone.

* * *

Bianca sat in the rocking chair in the nursery, holding Miranda close to her trying to rock the child to sleep. It had been a whirlwind past couple of days for everyone, adjusting to their new living arrangements and more so their surroundings. The culture shock itself had been quite the change for all of them and it would definitely take some time to get used to the bustling city around them.

She continued to rock in the chair checking to see if Miranda had fallen asleep yet. She smiled down at Miranda, hoping that it wouldn't be any longer until the baby girl would be lulled into dreamland. Still sitting in the rocking chair, Bianca's mind drifted to Maggie who was sleeping in the other room. She began thinking about Maggie and everything that had happened in the past year and half.

Bianca sighed, realizing that so much had transpired in her life and in Maggie's. Indeed they had grown close and also drifted apart but ultimately, what she did realize was how it was Miranda that brought them together.

Feeling compelled to listen to some music, Bianca reached over and turned on the radio. Almost like fate, her favorite Martina McBride song came on, echoing the thoughts that were in her heart at the present moment.

**In my daughter's eyes I am a hero  
I am strong and wise and I know no fear  
But the truth is plain to see  
She was sent to rescue me  
I see who I wanna be  
In my daughter's eyes  
**

She looked down at Miranda again and couldn't help but smile. The child she held in her arms was not only a blessing in her life but it was the same for Maggie too. Miranda was Maggie's solace in this whole storm and it warmed Bianca's heart. There had been many a moment when she watched Maggie holding Miranda and saw a ray of hope in her eyes. Indeed, Miranda was not just a miracle or blessing, she was the ray of hope for Maggie, Kendall and herself.

**In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal  
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace  
This miracle God gave to me gives me  
strength when I am weak  
I find reason to believe  
In my daughter's eyes**

It amazed Bianca beyond anything how her own daughter was everyone's reason for believing. She knew that for Kendall, Miranda was what brought hope in her life. Hope in the form of a new beginning while burying the pain of the past. If it weren't for Miranda, Kendall would probably have lost all of her faith in miracles and life a long time ago.

**And when she wraps her hand  
around my finger  
Oh it puts a smile in my heart  
Everything becomes a little clearer  
I realize what life is all about  
**

**It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough  
It's giving more when you feel like giving up  
I've seen the light  
It's in my daughter's eyes**

Bianca noticed how the baby girl finally fell asleep. She stood up and placed Miranda in her crib, pulling her baby blanket to her chest making sure that she was warm. She smiled down at the darling child, caressing her hand on Miranda's cheek. As the song was coming to a close, she sang the last verse softly.

**In my daughter's eyes I can see the future  
A reflection of who I am and what will be  
Though she'll grow and someday leave  
Maybe raise a family  
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me  
For I'll be there  
In my daughter's eyes**

"Good night Miranda. Mommy loves you," she whispered. Bianca reached over turned and turned on the nightlight. After making sure that Miranda was sound asleep, she walked out of the nursery and toward the bedroom where she saw Maggie snug in bed.

Bianca quietly approached the bed and knelt at Maggie's bedside. She noticed how at peace Maggie seemed when she was asleep. It was moments like these that soothed Bianca's mind and heart. Lately, with all the worries that had been weighing down on her, these moments of peace were hard to come by. Part of her was grateful that they were out of Pine Valley and getting a fresh start in a new city. Yet, another part of her couldn't help but still worry, simply because of the fact that Jonathan was bound to find out sooner or later where they were.**  
**

Bianca rose up from the floor and went to her side of bed and settled herself right next to Maggie. Almost instinctively, it was like her presence at been sensed as Maggie snuggled close to her and sighed. Bianca looked down at the sleeping figure next to her and brushed some hair away from Maggie's face.

She thought about Maggie and the turmoil that she had endured with Jonathan. Bianca's heart sank as she tried to imagine the kind of hell he had put her through during the time Maggie had pushed her away. Her heart pained at how Maggie had been pulled into such darkness remembering the days when she could see her struggling to find some light. As she lay in bed, her mind was brought back to the day when Maggie had arrived on her doorstep, looking lost as ever and seeking some much needed comfort.

_Bianca stumbled through her apartment, making her way to the door. The incessant knocking had jarred her from some peaceful sleep causing her to wake up. Knowing full well that whoever was knocking on her door would not give up until someone answered, she rolled out of bed and made her way to the door._

"_Who the heck could be at my door at two in the morning?" she grumbled under her breath. "I swear… if it's you Reggie, you are not crashing on my couch again." She opened the door, "Reggie…I can't let you…" she stopped mid sentence, surprised at who was at her door. "Maggie?" Bianca was now wide awake realizing that it was Maggie standing in front of her._

"_Bianca, can I crash here for the night?" Maggie stood at Bianca's door looking ready to fall apart. _

"_Maggie what's wrong?" Bianca stepped aside to let her come in. "Come in, you can definitely sleep on my couch."_

"_Thanks," Maggie walked in and immediately made her way to the couch. "I know it's late."_

_Bianca shut the door and turned to Maggie, "Do you want to talk about it?"_

"_Not really," Maggie replied, already stretched out on the couch. "I just needed to get away from everything and you were the first person that came to mind."_

"_Get away from what? Maggie, is everything okay?" _

_Bianca wasn't able to get a reply, noticing how Maggie had fallen asleep on the couch. She went to the closet and grabbed one of the spare blankets. Walking back to the couch, Bianca covered Maggie with it, hoping that it would be enough to keep her warm. She knelt beside her and saw the bags that had formed under her friend's eyes. _

_Bianca noticed how Maggie's eyes had been that way for days now, remembering the last time they had spent some time together. She had questioned her then if everything was okay and Maggie reassured that it was only stress from class. As she sat there now, watching her best friend sleep, the concern that lingered in her heart only grew. Something had happened to Maggie tonight and the thought began to worry her. _

_She stood up from the floor with her gaze still fixed on Maggie. She figured that it would be best to let her friend sleep, hoping that when morning came, they would be able to talk. As she walked back to her room, Bianca tried to keep herself from thinking the worst. She hoped that whatever storm that Maggie was lost in wasn't remotely close to any of the hell she herself had gone through in the past year._

Bianca was brought back to reality when she felt Maggie stir against her. She saw how Maggie's eyes were struggling beneath her eyelids, surmising that she was caught amidst a bad dream. Bianca wrapped her arms around her, hoping that it would be enough to coax Maggie back to a happier place and away from whatever images were haunting her mind.

"No… no… no…" Maggie whimpered. "Stay away from me, you can't… no…" her eyes opened suddenly, realizing that she was in bed next to Bianca.

"Bad dream?"

Maggie rubbed her forehead and sat up. "More like a nightmare," she sighed in frustration. "He was here, in my dream. Why can't he just leave me alone?" She slowly fell back into Bianca's arms. "All I want is for him to be out of my life."

"And he will be," Bianca rubbed Maggie's back as she held her tight. "No matter what it takes, we'll all make sure of that. Just sleep."

It was then when Bianca realized that the road to healing would be harder than she had thought it to be. With the lingering fear of Jonathan still hanging over them, it would take almost everything in her power, along with Jamie's and Kendall's to make sure Maggie was safe.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Maggie, are you there?" David stood outside of her old apartment. He knocked again, hoping that he'd get an answer. After another minute, David turned around and contemplated knocking on Jamie's door but decided against. Instead, he gave it one more try, knocking on the door once again.

Finally giving up after five minutes, David turned to leave when he ran into an older man standing in the hallway. He was about to brush past him when the man spoke.

"Can I help you?"

"Well, I was just looking for my cousin Maggie Stone. She lives in that apartment right over there," David pointed to down the hall.

"Oh, I'm sorry but if you're looking for the sweet girls who used to live there, they've moved," replied the older man.

"Moved?"

"Yes," he nodded. "They've been gone for a month now. Someone else has that place now. I forget his name but he seems like a very upstanding guy."

David stood in place, surprised at what he was hearing. The fact that he was not aware that Maggie had left began to bother him. "Do you happen to know why they left?" he hoped to get an answer.

"Something about starting a new life, I'm not sure," the older man said unsurely.

"Nothing else?"

"Not much else," the older man shook his head. "Ms. Montgomery didn't say much except that they needed to leave town in order to heal."

'_Heal? From what?'_ David wondered in his head. "Thank you for the information," he walked down the hall and into the elevator. As the doors closed, David leaned his head back, asking himself why Maggie would leave town without even letting him know. He understood why he had been shut out of her life because of everything that happened with Babe and Krystal. But for her to leave town without even so much as a goodbye bothered him, it brought him to the conclusion that something had to have happened for her to leave.

He thought back to what the older man had told him. Needing to leave town in order to heal. David was curious as to what those words meant. He knew there was an underlying meaning but had yet to figure it out. Reaching the ground floor, David was anxious for the doors to open. And once they did, he knew where to head next if he was to find out anything regarding Maggie.

* * *

"Knock knock," Bianca pushed the door open slowly. "Did I miss anything yet? Oh my god, Julia Santos?" she said with surprise, entering the examination room.

"Bianca Montgomery, it has certainly been a long time since I have seen you," Julia smiled. "Actually, more like the last time we ever saw each other, you were still a young girl."

"Yes, it sure has been a long while."

Maggie was sitting on the examination table, watching the banter between the two women in front of her. "I take it that you both know each other?" she smiled curiously at Bianca.

"You could say that," Bianca walked toward Maggie. "Julia and I go way back, well not that far back… more like to when my mother was married to Edmund's brother and Maria and Edmund were married and the whole Santos Family inhabited Wildwind," she started laughing. "You know what, it's a whole mess to explain. Let's just that I got to know all the Santos siblings well, right Julia? Or shall I say, Dr. Santos?"

"No need for the formalities," Julia smiled at the both of them. "I'm still getting used to the title myself. I mean, every time I hear Dr. Santos, I keep thinking that everyone is looking for my sister when in reality they're looking for me."

"Well, I'm happy for your success," Bianca replied. "So I take it that Maria has filled you in on everything with Maggie's file."

"Of course," Julia nodded her head. "I'm completely up to speed on everything. So why don't we go to the reason why you're here Maggie. So if you'll scoot up a bit, we'll get started. Now don't expect high definition television but it's still something amazing. Now this is going to be a bit cold," Julia spread a small amount of cold gel on Maggie's stomach.

"Oooh," Maggie laughed. She reached over for Bianca's hand and smiled, "I'm glad you're here."

"Anything for you," Bianca returned the gesture. Her ears perked up when she heard the distinct sound of a baby's heartbeat.

"And here we go," Julia roamed the surface of Maggie's stomach. "That's one strong heartbeat right there."

"Strong like her mother," Bianca commented as she smiled at Maggie.

Maggie tilted her head at the screen, still leaning back on the examination table. Needless to say, she was amazed at the sight before her, witnessing for the first time the little life growing inside of her. She often wondered what Bianca had felt during her sonogram when they both saw Miranda for the first time. And now she knew what it felt like. For Maggie, it was nothing short of amazing if anything, it left her in a state of awe.

"Mags, you okay?" Bianca asked when she noticed the perplexed look on Maggie's face.

"I think she's just a little amazed," Julia laughed. "I know I felt the same way when I saw my little Riley for the first time when I him on a screen like this. I can assure you of this now Maggie, your baby is healthy."

"That is so good to know, especially on my birthday," Maggie smiled. "Hey, can you tell if it's a boy or a girl? Bianca keeps saying it's a she."

"Oh well, Happy Birthday to you. As for it being a boy or a girl, you sure you want to know now? You don't want to be surprised?"

"Yeah, I'd love to know. If that's okay with you that is," Maggie looked over at Bianca.

Bianca felt flattered when Maggie had looked over at her asking if it was okay to know. "Of course it's fine with me," she pushed back some hair from Maggie's face. "It's your choice in the end."

Maggie looked back at Julia, "Okay, I guess we have a yes."

* * *

"Greenlee! Greenlee!" David was banging his fist on the door to the penthouse she shared with Ryan.

Jonathan was coming out of the kitchen when he heard the incessant banging on the front door. "What the hell?" he placed his plate of spaghetti down on the living room table and went to the door. "What the hell is you problem?" he said opening the door before David grabbed him by the collar.

"You!" David held onto Jonathan's shirt with his clenched fists. "Where the hell is my cousin? Tell me what you did to her… now!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Jonathan tried to get David to release his grip. The tighter David held onto his shirt, the more his circulation was being cut off. "I swear… I… don't… know…"

"Well you have some part in why she's gone and I want to know," David demanded.

"Jonathan? Who's at the… David!" Greenlee said, alarmed at the sight before her. She immediately ran to the door and attempted to get her former brother in law to ease up on Jonathan. "David, let go of him."

"Not until he tells me what happened to Maggie."

"David, please it's not worth it," Greenlee pleaded. "Just please, let go of Jonathan."

He stood there for a moment before letting go of Jonathan's shirt. David finally released his grip on Jonathan but still shot him a glare. "I'm going to find out what you did to my cousin, sooner or later."

Jonathan stepped back and rubbed his neck. Sensing the apparent tension that had just entered the room, he decided that eating his lunch somewhere else would be a better option. Taking his plate of spaghetti, he entered the kitchen only to exit 10 seconds later. Grabbing his coat and keys he turned and looked at Greenlee, "I think it's better that I just stay away from here for a few hours. I'd rather not risk Dr. Demento here trying to strangle me again."

"Sure whatever Jonathan," Greenlee replied indifferently. She watched the door close behind him before turning to face David again. "Are you out of your mind?"

David sat down on the couch. He looked up at Greenlee, "Me? Out of my mind? More like he's the one off his rocker. I swear… he's got something to do with Maggie's leaving town. Did you know she left by the way?"

"Yes," Greenlee mumbled under her breath.

"What? And you thought that maybe I shouldn't be filled in on this?" David stood up, raising his arms with question. "I know she isn't talking to me but I figured that if she were to leave town, I'd at least be informed."

Greenlee walked over to David and made an effort to calm him down. "David, I think you should sit down. There's a lot about Maggie that you don't know about and I guess it's time that you know the whole truth."

"The whole truth?" David sat back down on the couch.

"Yes. A lot has happened since the truth about Miranda came out," Greenlee sat down next to him. "Well, I should say that it was even before that. And it all roots back to Jonathan."

"I knew it."

"Wait David, before you go on some rampage and pummel Ryan's brother, let me tell you everything. I promise, once you hear everything I have to say, it will all make sense."

* * *

"Hold on tight Miranda!" Jamie said as he pushed her on the baby swings.

"Gee James Martin, you sure do have this fatherly thing down pat," Kendall said with a smile, walking over to him. "I guess it also helps that she's adores you."

"That does help doesn't it?" he smiled back. "Hey, do you know when Bianca and Maggie are supposed to be back?"

"I'm not sure. Why? Do you have some big date or something?"

"No, not really. I was just wondering. I mean, I was wondering if they found out if Maggie is having a boy or a girl."

"Oh, I'm sure it's a girl," Kendall smirked.

"What makes you so sure," he replied, giving Miranda another gentle push. "Five dollars says that it's a boy."

"Is that a bet?"

"Hey, five dollars is five dollars," he shrugged. "So are we on?"

"Yeah," Kendall shook Jamie's hand. "Now, think you could let me have a chance at pushing my baby niece on these swings?"

Jamie stepped aside, "Go right ahead. I'll be over there on the benches if you need me." He began walking toward the park benches.

"Hey stranger," a voice spoke from behind him.

Jamie turned his head and saw who was catching his attention. "Oh hey Erin, how have you been?"

"Well, the day itself has been okay but it's about to get better," Erin smiled shyly. "I mean, if you say yes to what I'm about to ask you."

"Okay," he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Well, first I want to give you something," Erin reached into her bag and pulled out a baseball cap. "This is for you," she said, handing the item to him. "I figured that you'd need another hat besides the Yankees one you always wear. Speaking of, where is it?"

"Oh, I left it back at the house. I figured I'd let my hair see the light of day," he turned the hat over and gazed at the front of it. "Collide? Is that some franchise team around here or something?"

"Actually no," Erin shook her head. "You've heard of Howie Day right?"

"Hmmm, yeah… the name sounds familiar."

"Heard the song, 'Perfect Time of Day'?"

"Ah yes," Jamie nodded. "So I'm guessing Collide is one of Howie Day's songs?"

Erin smiled, "Bingo! Give the man a round of applause. So this is where my question comes in. I have these um… two tickets to Webster Hall tonight and Howie Day happens to be giving a concert there."

"And let me guess," Jamie raised his eyebrows and smiled. "You'd like for me to go with you?"

"If you would like," she stood before Jamie, hoping that he'd say yes. "I mean, if you don't want to… I'll understand."

"Sure I'll go with you," he replied before placing the new hat on his head. "So, your place or mine?"

"You'll go?"

"Yes."

"Okay, well um… how about I just come by your place," Erin reached into her bag, pulling out a notebook and pen. "Here, write down your address. Don't worry about directions, I'll figure it all out."

Jamie wrote the address down in Erin's notebook and handed it back to her. "Here you go. So, what time should I be expecting you?"

"How does seven-ish sound?" Erin asked as she stuffed her notebook back into her bag.

"Seven sounds perfect to me," he replied. "Um… Erin?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the hat," he grinned shyly. He couldn't help but do so. There was something about her that made Jamie's heart skip a beat or two when it came to being around her. This was actually the first time he had been asked out on a date as opposed to him being the one who was doing the asking. "You're pretty cool, do you know that?"

Erin blushed slightly at Jamie's words. It was the first time in a long while that someone had said something like that to her. She tilted her head at Jamie and smiled, "Thanks." Erin was about to reach up and fix Jamie's hat when another voice interrupted the moment.

"Hey, who do we have here?" Kendall walked up to the both of them with Miranda in her arms. "You gonna to introduce me James?"

"Sure," he nodded. "Erin, this is Kendall. She's umm… one of my housemates. And this fussy little girl right here is Miranda, my god-daughter."

"She's cute," Erin said, giving her hand for Miranda to play with. "Is she your?"

"No, no… this is my niece," Kendall laughed. "Miranda is my sister's, Bianca. She's one of the other residents in that big house of ours."

"Wow," Erin was laughing. "This is all beginning to sound like some funny episode of Full House. How many others do you have living with you?"

"And then there's Maggie," Jamie added. "But that's it. It's just Bianca, Kendall, baby Miranda and Maggie. And myself of course."

"Ah okay," Erin replied as she checked her watch. "Hey, I gotta run. I'm going to be late for work if I don't leave now. I'll see you at seven."

"Yup," Jamie nodded. "Thanks again."

"No, thank you," Erin shouted back before sprinting to the bus stop.

"Hmmm… she's cute," Kendall said to Jamie as she watched her run to catch the bus. "And if I weren't mistaken, you're into her aren't you?"

"You could say that."

"She's got some charm, I'll give you that."

"Yeah, she does," Jamie took the hat off of his head and looked at it. "Gave me a cool new hat too."

"Wow, gift giving also," Kendall shifted Miranda to her other shoulder. "Date tonight?"

"We're going to a concert."

"Good for you. It's nice to see that you're having some fun."

Jamie turned to look at Kendall. "Yeah, it's about time we have some fun in this city isn't it?" He reached over and took Miranda from Kendall's arms. "I'm guessing we should head back. She's getting all fussy so I take it she needs a nap."

"You got that right. Let's go," Kendall began walking with Jamie walking along side her with Miranda.

"So, is our bet still on?" Jamie chuckled.

Kendall couldn't help but laugh. "If you still want it to? One thing though, just don't tell Maggie. After all, it is her birthday and look at us, we're placing bets on the sex of her baby."

"I still believe it's a boy," he turned the corner with Kendall. "Trust me, it's gonna be Jamie Jr," he whispered, noticing how Miranda had fallen asleep in his arms.

"Whatever you say," she replied. "Jamie, can I ask you a quick question?"

"Sure"

"That girl back there, Erin," Kendall thought back to Erin's physical features. "She looks kind of familiar, don't you think?"

"What do you mean?" Jamie asked.

"I mean, she looks like someone we know," she said while images of those they both knew in Pine Valley began rushing through her mind. "You know what, forget it. Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

"Kendall, trust me… we're safe here," he reassured Kendall. "No one else knows where we are and I doubt Jonathan Lavery would come looking for us here."

"I don't know, I can't explain it. I just keep having this feeling. It's like something tells me that the worst isn't over yet," Kendall looked on into the distance. "Eh, I should just stop, before I drive myself up a wall with worry."

"Good idea," Jamie agreed.

* * *

Bianca sat down next to Maggie on the couch in their living room. She noticed how quiet Maggie had become ever since they came back from Julia's office. Bianca surmised that it had to do with the appointment and moreover it was from the recent news they were both just given.

"Hey, are you alright?" Bianca reached over and pushed some hair away from Maggie's face. "You've been a little quiet since we got back."

"What? Yeah, I'm fine," Maggie sighed. "Just feeling a little overwhelmed. And yes, I know it's my birthday and that I should look a little happier."

Bianca moved closer to her. "So I was wrong. Look at it this way, at least you know now and you've got some time to deal with it."

Maggie turned to look at Bianca. "Yeah, you're right," she smiled. "A boy, I'm having a boy. And no matter what, he'll still be loved, by all of us."

"Yes he sure will," she agreed.

"So Miranda and little baby boy Stone."

"I think it's kinda cool. I mean, in my eyes, Miranda will have herself a bodyguard now," Bianca grinned.

"Who would have ever thought," Maggie laughed. "Your daughter is going to be growing up with my son. I can picture it now, him protecting Miranda… wow that's going to be a sight."

"It sure will be," Bianca nodded. "So, this gives us more than enough time to figure out names."

"Names… that's definitely going to be fun," Maggie rolled her eyes and laughed again. "Did I tell you that Jamie wants me to name him James Jr.?"

"Nope, you never told me that." Bianca laughed. "Did you agree to it?

"What do you think?"

"I guess not. So, do you have any ideas in your head for names?" Bianca reached under the living room table and placed the book of baby names on Maggie's lap. "Because I figured if you were having any trouble, you'd kinda appreciate this little library right here."

Maggie began flipping the pages in the book. "Wow, I never knew there were this many names to pick from as well as all the different variations and spellings. This will definitely keep me occupied or rather us."

Bianca took Maggie's hand in hers and smiled. "You really want me to help?"

"Yes, of course," she squeezed Bianca's hand. "I want you to. So, let's start looking at some of these names." Maggie arbitrarily opened the book to any page. "And the first name I see is Richard."

Bianca shook her head, "Next name?"

"What's wrong with Richard?"

"Richard Stone," Bianca blended the first name with Maggie's last name. "Doesn't blend all to well with me? Think about it… Richard sounds… too professional."

Maggie said the name in her head a couple of times before agreeing with Bianca. "Yeah, guess you're right," her eyes scanned down the page a little bit. "Okay, how about Riley? Hmm… Riley Stone... On second thought, nix that name."

"Why? Riley sounds cute," Bianca wondered why Maggie wasn't all too impressed with the name. "Riley Stone."

"Riley, it sounds like Ryan and Greenlee's names put together."

"Good point," Bianca laughed. "Okay, how about we flip to a different letter?"

Maggie flipped to the beginning of the book, landing on the pages that contained names beginning with D. "Daniel, Darius, Darren… none of these names impresses me," she continued to go down the list.

"How about David?" Bianca dared to make the suggestion. She knew that Maggie and David weren't on the best terms but she figured to put the idea out there."

"No… no way am I naming my son after that liar cousin of mine," Maggie replied sternly.

"Greenlee, why didn't anyone tell me before?" David sighed with worry. "All this happened to her and no one chose to tell me? I would have helped her."

Greenlee placed her arm around David's shoulder. "None of us knew what was going on," she tried to console him. "I only found out after Kendall filled me in. David, believe me, had I known, I would have done something to help her."

"So Jonathan…" David looked at Greenlee with worry. "He…no wonder she looked so bothered that day in the park." His eyes began to seethe with hate, "I swear, he better stay out of my way or else he'll end up a dead man."

"Look, there's nothing concrete that can peg Jonathan for what he's done," Greenlee reminded David of why nobody could touch Ryan's brother at the present time. "We're actually waiting for him to slip up and then nail him for everything. It's only a matter of time."

"We're? As in who?"

"Kendall and I"

"Kendall and you? What… do you have some mysterious plan going on?"

* * *

"You could say that," Greenlee shrugged her shoulders. "We're being careful, don't worry."

David buried his face in his hands for a moment. He thought about Maggie and what she had been through and how he was left in the dark about everything. "I just wish she had said something," he sighed again. "Is there any way I can find out where she is?"

Greenlee began biting her bottom lip when she heard David ask that question. She hoped that he wouldn't notice that her gaze was averted to another side of the room. Part of her wanted to tell David where his cousin was but another part of her didn't want to, in an effort to keep Maggie safe.

"Greenlee, I know that look on your face," David could tell right off the bat that she knew something. "You know where they are don't you? You know where Maggie and Bianca are?"

"And what if I did?" she stood up from the couch. She walked out onto the terrace, overlooking the rest of Pine Valley.

"Tell me where they are," David followed after her. "Greenlee, you need to tell me where my cousin is. I want to help her."

"Maggie's got all the help she needs," Greenlee avoided eye contact.

"Please, tell me," David pleaded. "Who else am I going to tell? Come on Greenlee, this is Maggie we're talking about. Anyone else that can be on her side will only help her."

Greenlee focused her gaze down below at Pine Valley. She knew that it was only right to tell David where Maggie was. After all, David and Maggie were family and this was possibly the one time that they'd be able to push their past aside and start off clean once again.

"Fine, I'll tell you," she surrendered, knowing that giving out this information was bound to haunt her later on.

Jonathan entered the apartment and saw how David and Greenlee were standing out on the terrace. He had over heard her last statement and it caused him great interest since it sounded like she was about to tell David of Maggie's whereabouts. Walking over to the terrace doors, he stood by there out of sight and listened intently.

"Greenlee, you can trust me," David stood closer to her. "Please, just tell me where Maggie is."

"She's in New York City," Greenlee turned her head to David. "Maggie, Bianca, Miranda, Kendall and Jamie… they've all moved to New York City."

"Bingo!" Jonathan whispered to himself. He quietly walked away from the terrace and quickly out the front door again. Now that he knew of Maggie's whereabouts, he needed to take the next steps into finding his way back into her life once again.

And he immediately knew of one surefire way. The question was, would she cop to his schemes and help him get what he wanted.

* * *

Kendall stood at the doorway of the nursery, watching Bianca sing Miranda to sleep. Her sister's voice was always one of the things she loved about her. In her eyes and her mind, it was like Bianca had the voice of an angel, a voice that could soothe anyone's worries or pain.

"Dreams are the flowers that bloom in your heart" Bianca sang the final line of the lullaby to Miranda, who was now fast asleep. She looked up and saw Kendall standing at the doorway. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough that it reminded me how much I love that angelic voice of yours," Kendall walked over to Bianca and gazed at Miranda sleeping in her crib. "She had a lot of fun today, both in the park and this evening, celebrating Maggie's birthday with us."

"Yes, it looks like she did," Bianca agreed. "I'm happy that today turned out so well. For a little while, I was afraid that things weren't going to but I managed to help Maggie see the bright side in things."

Kendall looked at Bianca with concern. "Why, what happened? Is something wrong?" she began to worry. "Is Maggie okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She's actually asleep right now. And why don't we let Miranda sleep too, so let's go down to the kitchen and talk," Bianca walked out of the room, with Kendall following after her.

Reaching the kitchen, Bianca sat with Kendall at the table with two cups of tea. After taking a few sips, their conversation commenced once again. Bianca proceeded to pick up right where she had left off.

"Well, it turns out that Maggie's new doctor is Maria's sister. So that's the first good thing."

"Great, but you might not want me to get near Julia Santos for now. There's a little bad blood between us," Kendall thought back to her distant past. "It kinda dates back to when the two of us were after the same guy, Anton."

"Oh Kendall, wasn't there ever a time when you weren't fighting over a guy," Bianca laughed. "I'm sure she can let bygones be bygones."

"I sure hope so," Kendall took another sip of her tea. "So tell me, what was it that made you think that things weren't going to turn out so good?"

Bianca swallowed before answering. "We found out if Maggie was going to have a boy or a girl."

"Oh… so are you going to tell me?" Kendall was curious to know.

"It's going to be a boy."

"There goes my five dollars," Kendall chuckled.

"Huh? Five dollars for what?" Bianca didn't quite understand what her sister was talking about.

"It's nothing, just a little bet that Jamie and I had," Kendall laughed, thinking about how Jamie would be gloating that he won. "I kinda bet with him that Maggie was having a girl. I guess I lost, but that's beside the point now. So, Maggie wasn't all to jazzed about it huh?"

"Not really, at first… but we got to talking and she realized that boy or girl, the child would still be loved no matter what," Bianca yawned. "Wow, I guess I'm more tired than I thought I was."

"I think we all are," Kendall took the empty cup from Bianca and walked over to the sink. "This past month has been a bit crazy with all the settling in and what not."

"Yeah it sure has," Bianca agreed. "Kendall, I'm glad you're here though. And if I haven't told you this already, thank you… for everything you've done. Both you and Jamie, the two of you deserve so much gratitude."

"Binx, there's nothing that I wouldn't do for you, for Maggie and for Miranda. So stop it with the thank yous. Now why don't you head upstairs and get some sleep," she nudged Bianca toward the stairs. "Go on, I'll clean up down here. Plus there's some reports I want to work on before I messenger them back to Greenlee."

"Alright," Bianca walked toward the stairway. "You know, this whole arrangement you have with work is great."

"Well it also helps that I've got Jamie double-checking the charts before I send them back," Kendall smiled. "He's a whiz with Fusion's spreadsheets."

"That's Jamie for you. Speaking of, where is he by the way?"

"He's out on a date," Kendall replied. "Some concert, so I wouldn't expect him back 'til late."

"Working that Martin charm, isn't he?" Bianca remarked with another yawn.

"Most likely… good night sis."

"Night Kendall…"

Kendall sat back down at the table, spreading out the last set of spreadsheets Greenlee had sent her. She noticed that Jonathan's name had been up top, surmising that he was the last to work on the numbers. Sighing with frustration, Kendall knew that this was going to be a long night since it would now require another once over to make sure that he hadn't botched up any of the numbers.

She knew that he valued working for Fusion/Enchantment but still had her qualms about Jonathan's true dedication to the company. If he was indeed out to tank both corporations like she suspected, Kendall needed to keep a close eye on what was going on with things, even from a long distance.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Greenlee. Kendall figured that her fellow cohort in work was probably up late also. She couldn't be any more right as Greenlee answered the call, sipping a cup of coffee on her end.

"So how are things in merry old Pine Valley?" Kendall ran her pen down the first column of the sheet.

"Things were going well until David came by," Greenlee replied on her end. "I found him almost ready to choke Jonathan to death."

"And did he?"

"No way, I stopped him before he could do any damage. Kendall, remember… the plan?"

"Ah yes, sorry… I'm starting to get a bit cross eyed looking at all these reports," Kendall shoved the pen behind her ear. "You said David came by? What for?"

Greenlee paused before replying. She knew that telling David was probably one of the most risky things she had even done but also felt that there was a need to tell him before he did anything drastic.

"David came by demanding to know where Maggie was."

"And what did you tell him Greenlee?" Kendall hoped that her friend didn't spill the beans on their location. "Greenlee, please say that you didn't tell David where we are," she heard no answer on the other end. "Oh my god, you did. You told him, didn't you?"

"I didn't have a choice. The guy was so worried and I don't blame him. I mean, come on, he's got no family left here," Greenlee began defending her actions, hoping that Kendall would understand. "He had to send Krystal, Babe and her son off so that they could be safe from the Chandlers and now his cousin is gone too. What else could I have done?"

"You could have not told him where we are. Greenlee, you realize that the more people who know, the more danger this may put Maggie in."

"Kendall, I made sure Jonathan wasn't home when David and I talked," she replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure… and we can trust David. After all, he is her cousin."

Kendall leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Fine, but no one else. And when you talk to David again, tell him to call me. Will you?"

"Yes," Greenlee took a sip of her coffee. "So how is everyone, moreover… how are you?"

"I'm fine, everyone is fine," Kendall said, finally feeling a bit calmed down.

"That's great. And Maggie?"

"Things are a lot better for her here," she told Greenlee with a smile. "I mean, it was touch and go at first but now, I'm sure that there will be many more brighter days around here."

"Sounds like you all made the right choice by moving there huh?" Greenlee tried to mask the sorrow in her voice. It was no mistake that she missed her friend dearly. "Sorry, I kinda just miss having you around."

"Hey, I miss you too but I'll around to visit in a few weeks. I mean, to visit Ethan and all," Kendall felt a pang of guilt in her heart. She knew how much Greenlee valued their friendship, especially now more than ever. "Just take care of yourself okay? And keep me posted on your progress with getting the dirt on Jonathan."

"You take care too. We'll talk again soon," she smiled on her end of the phone call. "Now get back to those reports. I expect them in a couple of days."

"Such the slave-driver. Night Greenlee," Kendall laughed before hanging up the call. She cast her eyes back on the sheets in front of her. "Damn, Jamie's gonna have fun helping to make sure these spreadsheets are right," she mumbled to herself before going down the next column of figures.

* * *

"I had a good time tonight," Jamie smiled as she walked Erin back to her place. "I think I now have a new appreciation for Howie Day and of course the song, Collide."

"See, now aren't you glad I got you that hat?" Erin stood on the steps so that she was leveled with Jamie and able to look at him eye to eye.

"And here I thought it was because you didn't like my hair," he grinned.

Erin reached over and took the hat off of Jamie's head so that his shaggy hair would come loose. "I like the hair. It could use a small trim but I can deal with it. Plus, you look kinda cute in hats."

Jamie took his hat back from Erin and stuffed it in his jean pocket. "Well, I was thinking that one of these days I would get a trim. The edges I mean, so that it doesn't look as messy," he moved closer to her face, beginning to close the gap between them.

"Oh?" Erin saw Jamie coming closer to her and chose not to resist. She was digging his wit and charm and loved his personality. It had been the first time in a while that she ever felt this way about someone and decided that it was time to seize the moment and let fate take over. "Well, no matter how you look, I'd still think you're good looking. In fact, it isn't just you looks that I dig, you've got a pretty cool personality too."

Jamie took Erin's words as a compliment and decided to return the gesture. "Now that's what I like, someone who doesn't judge anyone on appearances alone. I like you; I think we're on the road to a beautiful friendship."

"Oh you think?"

"Yeah," Jamie nodded. He pulled up his sleeve and checked his watch. "Well I think it's time I should get going."

"You'll be okay finding your way back?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Turns out that you and I don't live too far from each other," he debated in his mind on whether or not to kiss Erin. Part of him was tempted to do so but he also wanted to hold back, thinking that it was too son. "So umm… good night… we should do this again."

"Good night Jamie and yes, we should. I'll um… call you? Erin smiled shyly.

"Sure, you've got my number and I've got yours. It's a deal," Jamie reached for his hat and put it on, backwards as always.

The two of them stood there for a moment, like they were frozen in time. It was clear and apparent that both of them were clueless as to what to do next. Jamie's palms began to sweat while Erin's heart began to race. Finally, succumbing to the temptation, Jamie moved closer to Erin's face as their lips would meet. What began as a small good night kiss blossomed into an even deeper one, as Erin was returning the gesture.

A small ringing sound coming from Erin's belt interrupted the moment. Her cell phone was alerting her that she had a call coming in. Erin chose to ignore it as she was so engrossed in kissing Jamie. Surmising that whoever it was would just leave a voicemail, Erin continued to bask in her moment of bliss with him.

"You should get that," Jamie broke the kiss in an effort to catch a breath of fresh air.

"Don't worry, who ever it is will just have to leave me a voicemail," Erin replied before kissing Jamie again.

Her cell phone would ring a second time, Erin choosing to ignore it again. She wasn't about to let anyone ruin this, the first happy moment in a long time that she ever had.

Jonathan sat in his car with his cell phone held close to his ear. "Damnit Erin, why the hell won't you pick up your phone?"

'_Hey you've reached Erin, leave a message and I'll get back to you.'_

"Hey Erin, it's your brother Jonathan," he tried not to sound upset. "Give me a call when you get this. I think I'll have to take you up on that visit to New York City. Call me back so we can start planning. It'd be great to see you again." He hung up his phone and tossed it into the passenger seat.

Rubbing the stubble that had formed on his chin, Jonathan smiled mischievously at how easy things were falling into place for him. With his sister now living in New York, it proved to be the advantage that he needed. And it would be through Erin, that he would find a way to have Maggie and his child back in his life.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"_Well this is fun huh?"_

_"Did I complain?" Jonathan sat down next to Maggie, pushing some hair away from her face._

_Maggie sighed, "That was a real downer. Bye bye Bianca, bye Jamie. He's such a great guy."_

_"You've still got me."_

_"Thank you. Thank you for not walking out that door," she turned around to him._

_"No chance," he smiled right back at her before planting a kiss on her lips._

Jonathan sat in Fusion, flipping his pen. His mind obviously drifted elsewhere, thinking back to a one of his 'Maggie moments' or so he referred to them as that. And lately, it was all he could think about, the moments he shared with her, the times he made her smile when no one else seemed to be able to.

He thought back to when he first set foot in Pine Valley. Originally, he came to town in search of his brother, to reconnect with family. Perhaps that was his sole reason but it didn't go without saying that he had more that just that in his mind. But then it all changed.

By some twist of fate, Jonathan found himself head over heels in love. It was a feeling that he honestly never felt before in his life and it scared him. Much so that he became afraid of losing that feeling. For the first time in his life, he loved someone and was able to receive that feeling back.

And it was all because of Maggie. Who could have ever thought that one chance meeting, a late night in a diner and a couple of shared drinks would be the beginning of happiness for someone? For Jonathan, it was.

Yet, love wouldn't be enough to keep his demons hidden. The same demons he'd been fighting ever since Ryan left him as a boy. Some say that love has a way of bringing a smile to people's faces and changing their hearts, for Jonathan it had managed to do all that and more but not in a good way.

Kendall sighed as she looked at the date on the calendar. She wondered if he even realized what day it was or maybe he did but just didn't want to think about it. Part of her would have given anything at the moment just to be with him. It pained her heart to know that Ethan was celebrating his birthday, alone.

"Thinking about someone?" Jamie stood at her doorway with Maggie was standing next to him.

"You could say that," Kendall replied.

"Why don't you just go and make the drive," Maggie suggested with a smile. "Go and see him. I bet he'd like that."

Before Kendall could even answer Maggie, her cell phone started to ring. She reached down on her bed and answered the call, wondering who would be calling her. "Hello? Yes Derek," she looked back at Jamie and Maggie, perplexed at why Chief Frye was calling her. Soon enough, Kendall's eyes lit up. "I'll be there as soon as I can," she tried not to sound too overly excited. "No, you will not regret this. Thank you… oh, alright, yes," she hung up and tilted her head at Jamie and Maggie.

Maggie raised her hands, "Don't look at me. It was all him."

Kendall went over to Jamie and reached up to hug him. "Thank you, so much," she wrapped her arms around him. "I owe you now."

"It's nothing," he smiled. "Just thought that maybe I'd have my dad call in a few favors and such."

"Well, it's a huge favor," Kendall replied. "I guess I should go now huh?"

"You don't have much time so yeah, you should," Jamie brushed his hair back with his fingers. It had been recently trimmed but was still at a length that it annoyed the girls every now and then. "Enjoy it okay?"

"I sure will," she reached for her bag and keys. "Thanks again," she kissed Jamie on the cheek before rushing out of her room, downstairs and out the front door.

"Awww Jamie… You know you just totally made her night," Maggie began walking down the hall and down the stairs. Jamie was following close behind her.

"Like I said, it was nothing," Jamie reached the living room with Maggie and sat down on the couch. "Kendall deserves some happiness. All of us do, and that also includes Bianca and you."

"And yourself, James?" Maggie stretched herself out on the couch, resting her feet on Jamie's lap. "You've made some huge sacrifices too, moving here with us. Shouldn't you find some happiness also?"

"She right," Bianca came into the living room.

"Ah see, Bianca agrees with me," Maggie smiled.

Jamie stood up from couch, giving up his spot to Bianca, who immediately obliged and sat down on. Now it was Bianca's lap that Maggie's feet were resting on. Jamie was now sitting on the floor, leaning against the couch both women were sitting on.

"No fair, you two are double teaming me now," he feigned pouting. "Alright, alright… you say that we deserve some happiness right? Well, I'm finding my own happiness just fine, thank you."

Maggie looked at Bianca before looking back at Jamie. "James Edward Martin, is there something that you haven't been telling us?"

"It scares me that you know my full name," he laughed before answering Maggie. "Maybe there is."

"So are you going to tell us?" Bianca hoped that he wouldn't tease her and Maggie anymore. "Come on Jamie. Don't make me grab a pair of scissors and give you the haircut that the barber should have given you."

"What is with you girls and my hair?" Jamie ran his hand through it. "Erin seems to like it just fine."

"Erin?" Bianca and Maggie asked simultaneously.

"Yes, Erin. I met her a little over a month ago. We've been seeing each other since."

"And you chose not to tell us?" Maggie feigned hurt. "I'm happy for you Jamie. It's about time we all had someone we cared for in our lives," she reached for Bianca's hand. "Right?"

Bianca squeezed Maggie's hand and smiled. "Yeah, it sure is. And pretty soon we'll all have one more person to care about. Right Little Stone?" she reached over and rubbed Maggie's abdomen. "Have you thought of a name yet? I'm kinda getting tired of calling him Little Stone."

"Ahem…" Jamie cleared his throat purposely before coughing. "James," he said ever so indiscreetly.

"Are you trying to suggest something?" Maggie looked down at him.

Jamie didn't reply, simply just grinning.

The room became silent for a moment, all three of them sitting here, their minds having drifted away for a brief second. It wasn't until they all heard Miranda over the baby monitor that they were brought back to reality.

Bianca was about to get up when Jamie stopped her. "Let me get her," he stood up and bounded up the stairs.

"So, I take it Kendall is on her way to Pine Valley?" Bianca began rubbing Maggie's feet not even realizing that she was doing so.

"Mmmhmmm," Maggie nodded, obviously enjoying what Bianca rubbing her feet. "She'll be back tomorrow. I mean, your sister deserves this time with him."

"That she does," Bianca agreed. Her attention now fell upon Miranda who was being brought down the stairs by Jamie. "Hi sweetheart," she smiled at her, watching Miranda smile back.

"She's getting so big," Jamie sat back down on the floor, sitting Miranda on his lap. "Right kiddo, you're getting big aren't you?" He began raised her up in the air as a little bit of drool fell onto his face. "Ugh… okay… I'll forgive you for that one," he brought her back down onto his lap.

Maggie and Bianca sat on the couch watching Jamie play with Miranda. Soon enough, Miranda began playing with Jamie's hair and then his nose and eyes. Not seeming to mind one bit, Jamie let the child have some fun with her roaming hands all over her face. It went without saying that the baby girl was certainly enjoying herself.

"She's just having too much fun you know," Bianca laughed, watching her daughter.

"I agree," Maggie concurred. "But then again, all the girls just seem to love you Jamie."

Jamie looked up at Maggie, "Funny… ha ha."

Miranda continued to squirm in Jamie's lap as she played with his face. She was mumbling a mouthful of words which in turn gave Bianca and Maggie the conclusion that she was having fun.

"Oh but it's just so cute," Maggie laughed. "You have a way with her. I think we all do and with Bianca it's already a given of course."

The three of them were laughing, their attention still focused on Miranda. It was apparent that her talking gibberish and drool became the entertainment for the moment. Suddenly, amidst all the laughter, baby drool and sounds, Miranda grabbed Jamie's hair and spoke.

"Da...da…"

Jamie's mouth dropped along with Bianca's and Maggie's. They looked at the child in awe and hoped that she would mutter the same word again. Waiting just another split second, they got their wish.

"Dada," Miranda repeated, this time it was more pronounced as she looked at Jamie.

"Did she just? Bianca? Did she?" Jamie stumbled over his words, not knowing how exactly to react to what just happened. He brought Miranda to Bianca on the couch.

"Yes she did," Bianca reached out, taking her daughter from him. "Wow, so you said your first word huh? I wished it was Mama but that'll do for now," she looked back at Jamie. "I can see why she's calling you that."

"Oh?" Jamie felt a bit embarrassed.

"You've been spending a lot of time with her. And she sees you everyday, so it's only normal," Bianca replied.

"Yeah she's right," Maggie added. "I think it's cute."

"I think so too," Bianca bounced Miranda in her lap. "Don't worry Jamie. If she wants to call you that, then it's fine with me. Someday, when she can understand, it will all be explained to her."

"Alright," Jamie brushed his brow. He checked his watch, noticing what time it was. "Oh, I gotta go before I'm late."

"Date?" Maggie's eyes perked up. She was happy that Jamie had someone in his life again.

"I'm just picking Erin up from class and then we're going to catch a movie or something," he replied, slipping on his shoes. "Don't wait up."

"Have fun. Oh and bring an umbrella. It's still raining out there," Bianca saw through the window that it was still raining outside.

Jamie grabbed his hat, notably the one that Erin had given him and an umbrella. "Be good," he winked before walking out the door into the rain showers.

Bianca turned her attention back to Miranda and Maggie. "This has certainly been an interesting afternoon so far," she got up and placed Miranda in her playpen. Going back to the couch, she sat back down. "Maggie?"

"What? Oh sorry," Maggie shook her head and laughed.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Maybe," she cast her gaze at Miranda for a moment and then to Bianca. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" Bianca slid closer to Maggie.

"Just about him." Maggie rubbed her stomach. "And about what just happened now."

"Oh you mean with Miranda calling Jamie her daddy?" Bianca turned and looked at her daughter for a second. "You're thinking about your little boy's father, aren't you?"

Maggie didn't respond right away. She gathered her thoughts while also pondering what Bianca had just said now. She couldn't really fathom a response to her question as her mind became filled with worry about Jonathan.

"Maggie, he's not going to be anything like him," Bianca reassured her, hoping that she'd believe everything she was saying. "Don't put yourself through this mental torture. It's not worth driving yourself up a wall with those thoughts. It's not good for you or for him," Bianca pointed down at Maggie's stomach. She then reached over and pushed Maggie's chin up.

"Mags, you trust me right?"

"Yes"

"Okay then stop worrying," Bianca stood up, extending her hand out to Maggie. "Let's go upstairs."

Reaching for Bianca's hand, Maggie agreed.

"Hey stranger," Jamie leaned against the lamp post, catching Erin's attention as she walked out of the building

"Hey yourself," she smiled at him. Erin got up on her toes and planted a small kiss on his lips. "I thought this class would never end."

"I'm glad it did. So, want to grab a movie or food or something?" Jamie adjusted his hat and then took Erin's bag. He swung it over his shoulder and then took hold of her hand. "Come on and get under the umbrella. I don't want you getting wet."

"Nay on the movie," Erin walked close with Jamie. "How about we take a walk through the park and then some dinner at my place?"

"Sounds like a plan," Jamie pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

"Don't make me regret this," Derek Frye said as he stood at Kendall's doorway. "This guard will remain out here for the rest of the night."

"You will not regret this," Kendall assured him.

"Just for tonight Kendall. You got it?"

"Yes, got it," she nodded. "Guard stays outside and the both of you go nowhere. Got it," she gave him a thumbs up.

Derek rolled his eyes and her and walked away. "Sheesh, the things people do when they're in love," he mumbled to himself.

Kendall watched Chief Frye walk away and then turned her attention to the officer standing at her doorway. She smiled at him briefly and then closed the door. She leaned her head forward against the door, still finding it all hard to believe. A pair of arms enveloped her body from behind, turning her around.

She looked up into his deep brown eyes and smiled. Kendall didn't even have time to mutter any words as Ethan pulled her close, planting a deep and passionate kiss on her lips.

"Oh how I've missed you so much," he whispered.

The rain continued to fall outside, periodically raindrops hit against the windows of Bianca and Maggie's room. The room itself was fairly silent while Maggie's mind waded through the past, more so the times she spent with Bianca. The many a time they had sat in the boathouse or when they split a plate of nachos at B.J.'s.

She stood at the window watching the rain fall. Somehow, it brought a sense of peace for her, watching the small droplets of water hit against the windowsill. Soon enough a pair of arms wrapped around her body from behind and placing sweet, soft kisses on the back of her neck.

Bianca led Maggie back towards the bed, both of them falling back slowly and beginning to laugh.  
**  
Lying here with you  
Listening to the rain  
Smiling just to see the smile upon your face  
These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive  
These are the moments I'll remember all my life  
I found all I've waited for  
And I could not ask for more**

Maggie smiled at Bianca as they both lay on the bed, the rain pelting against their windows now had faded into the background. Nothing was going interrupt this sweet moment between them. She looked deep into Bianca's eyes, unable to wipe the smile that was on her face. It was plain as day that Bianca had become Maggie's reason for all her smiles and laughter.

Bianca gazed back at Maggie, bringing her hand to to Maggie's face. She traced her jawline slowly, watching a small fit of giggles come from Maggie. Truly, it warmed Bianca's heart to see her smiling as of late. She remembered back to a time when all she ever saw from Maggie's eyes were pain and indeed it had pained her own heart too. But now, there wasn't any more pain seen in Maggie's eyes. All Bianca could see was hope and most of all love.

**Looking in your eyes  
Seeing all I need  
Everything you are is everything to me  
These are the moments  
I know heaven must exist  
These are the moments I know all I need is this  
I have all I've waited for  
And I could not ask for more**

Ethan was still standing with Kendall in his arms by her door. The candlelight began to flicker from Kendall's bedroom. Picking her up in his arms, Ethan brought Kendall into the bedroom. Before he could place her down on the bed, she stopped him.

"Wait," she spoke softly. Looking into his eyes, she kissed him again. "I missed you too."

He placed Kendall down on the bed joining her immediately. Pulling his shirt off over his head he snuggled close with her, showering her collarbone with warm, soft kisses. "I want to make the most of this night."

"Anything for you," Kendall smiled. "And before I forget… Happy Birthday," she brushed her fingers through his hair.

**I could not ask for more than this time together  
I could not ask for more than this time with you  
Every prayer has been answered  
Every dream I have's come true  
And right here in this moment is right where I'm meant to be  
Here with you here with me**

"This time I get to spend with you," Ethan held Kendall close to him. "It's more than I could ever ask for. I wasn't even expecting for something like to happen. Least of all, with the situation that I'm in."

"Shh… let's not think about that tonight," Kendall brought her finger to his lips. "You're here with me, I'm here with you and nothing else matters. It's just you and me."

"I used to dream about what it felt like to be in love with someone," Maggie whispered as she lay in bed with Bianca. "And now it's no longer a dream. It's become a reality. And I couldn't be any happier."

Bianca propped her head up on a pillow with her elbow. Her head resting on her hand as she gazed at Maggie. She couldn't really find anything to say as all she could do was look into Maggie's eyes. Everything she had ever wanted in a person was lying right there in front of her.

"Bianca, I'm sorry for…" Bianca didn't let Maggie finish her thought as she brought her finger to Maggie's lips.

"Shhh… no more thinking about the past," she spoke.  
**  
These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive  
These are the moments I'll remember all my life  
I've got all I've waited for  
And I could not ask for more**

"Forget about the past," she repeated those words to Maggie. "There's nothing left for you there. You're here with me now and you've got a whole big future ahead of you. A future with me."

"What did I ever do to deserve someone like you?" Maggie's brown eyes met with Bianca's. She brought her hand to Bianca's face, brushing some hair away and behind her ear. "Heaven has got to be missing an angel right now because I think she's right down here with me."

"When I was a child, I used to wonder what the meaning of love was," Ethan laid in bed with Kendall in his arms. Kendall's head was rested against his chest. "Did you ever wonder about that too?"

Kendall smiled and lifted her head, her gaze focused on him and only him. It was as if time stopped all around them and they were the only ones who existed in the world. In fact, if Kendall had her wish, she would have made time stop so that she could just have this night with Ethan forever.

"I guess I did, but I gave up on it after a while," Kendall replied. "There was a point in my life when I thought that I'd never fall in love again. But then you came. You made me feel what love was like again."

**I could not ask for more than this time together  
I could not ask for more than this time with you  
Every prayer has been answered  
Every dream I have's come true  
And right here in this moment is right where I'm meant to be  
Here with you here with me**

"How did I ever get so lucky to have you in my life Kendall?" Ethan looked down at her. He pushed away all the worries that were on his mind and gave his attention to her and only her.

"It's not luck, just that we happened to find each other during a low moment in our lives," Kendall snuggled closer to him, closing her eyes. "Maybe it was just meant to be."

Ethan kissed Kendall and yawned. As much as he wanted to sleep, he was determined to savor every moment with her, for as long as he had. Looking down at her, he noticed how she had fallen asleep. "Well, I can just stare at you all night my sweet. You just sleep. I love you Kendall."

Bianca's eyes were still affixed upon Maggie. She watched her soul mate lying in bed, looking ready to fall asleep. Her eyes wandered over to the clock noticing the time. The evening managed to pass itself by that neither of them had taken the time to notice it. Soon enough, Bianca saw how Maggie's eyes had closed, surmising that she was now off somewhere in dreamland. Bianca could only hope that whatever she was dreaming about consisted of nothing but happy thoughts.

Her eyes fell upon Maggie's stomach, noticing how she was beginning to show. Bianca marveled for a moment, realizing that she was really in love with Maggie. And those same feelings were reciprocated over and over. It was no mistake that she was in love with Maggie and Maggie was in love with her.

And it would be with that thought that she closed her eyes, while her hand rested on Maggie's stomach.

**I could not ask for more than the love you give me  
'Cause it's all I've waited for  
And I could not ask for more  
I could not ask for more**

"I love you Maggie…" Bianca whispered, kissing Maggie once again.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Jamie did his best to shield Erin and himself from the pouring rain as they stood in front of her building. The weather had taken a turn for the worse, the showers progressing into a full fledged thunderstorm as the evening bore on.

"I think I found them," Erin fished for her keys inside her bag. "Here they are!"

"Hey no hurry. I mean, we're pretty much soaked already," Jamie said, tossing the wet newspaper into the trash can. "It didn't help that our umbrella gave out on us earlier either."

Erin pushed the front door of her building open. She led Jamie upstairs to her loft, both of them leaving a trail of water behind them. "And here we are," she began unlocking her door. "Don't mind the mess."

Jamie proceeded to enter Erin's place, taking in what he saw before him. It was simple at best, noting that she didn't own anything extravagant. In his eyes, Erin lived a typical college student's life, getting by on whatever was on hand. As he stood in place, he suddenly became embarrassed, noticing how he was leaving a puddle of water on the floor due to his drenched clothing.

"Sorry," Jamie laughed. "I seem to be leaving a puddle of water on your nice floor."

"Don't worry about it," Erin walked into her bathroom and grabbed two towels. She tossed one toward Jamie who caught it. "Might as well dry off, shouldn't we?"

"We should."

"And umm… also change out of these wet clothes," Erin was drying her hair with the towel.

"It sounds like a great idea but there seems to be just one problem."

"What?"

"You may be able to change but I can't," Jamie refrained from sitting down on her couch. "I don't have any extra clothes on me."

Erin smiled at Jamie. "I can fix that problem. Just give me a minute and I will be right back," she disappeared into her room, shutting the door.

Jamie raised his eyebrows at Erin, wondering what she was up to. He couldn't help but feel attracted to her. There was something about Erin that drew him to her and he still couldn't figure out why. Perhaps it was her personality or maybe it was her wit. Jamie reflected on the time he spent with her so far and realized that maybe it was also her smile that fueled his attraction. Yet, whatever it was, Jamie was definitely falling head over heels for her.

"Hey," Erin called out from behind him. She was now wearing dark brown track pants and a sleeveless shirt. She tossed him a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. "You can wear those while your clothes dry. Go and change in my room."

"Alright," he nodded. "Be right back."

A minute later, Jamie came back into the living room donning the sweat pants Erin had loaned him along with the Princeton t-shirt which seemed to fit him perfectly. He was holding his wet clothes along with his socks, wondering where he would leave them.

"Here, let me hang those in the bathroom." Erin took the wet clothes. "I took the liberty of ordering us some pizza. Hope that is okay with you," she shouted from the bathroom.

"Sure, that's cool," he sat down on her couch, waiting for her to join him.

"You look different without the hat," Erin came back to the living room. She handed him a can of soda as she sat down.

Jamie opened the can before answering. "Well, I can't exactly wear it while my hair is wet. But for you, I decided to comb it back," he grinned. "I only realized now how long my hair is. Maybe I do need a trim."

"Trim, whatever… I like you hair any which way you wear it."

"Oh," Jamie loved the sneaky way she was flirting with him. "So you wouldn't mind if I got it cut?"

Erin played around with the thought for a second. "I'd miss being able to play with your hair but I can deal," she smiled. "You'll probably want to get it cut soon. It gets really humid here in the city during the summer."

"You think?"

"No, I know."

Jamie brought his hand to Erin's face, brushing away some stray blond hair from her eyes. "That was some walk in the park we took," he let his hand linger on her cheek for another second. "Who would have thought that the skies would just open up on us."

"But you have to admit, you had fun right?" Erin took a sip of her soda.

"Yeah, I did," Jamie bowed his head and laughed. "I haven't done anything like that since I was a kid. Okay wait, maybe not too long ago… Maggie dragged me into the rain last summer."

"You're really close with Maggie huh?"

"We're close, yeah," he nodded. "But we're more like a brother-sister close kind of thing. She watches my back and I watch hers."

"Good deal…" Erin replied. "Sounds like you have yourself a really cool friend."

"She's been looking out for me for a while now. Especially last summer, when I got involved with her cousin, Babe," Jamie sighed, wondering how she was doing. It had been a couple of months since Babe had left town.

Erin could see the lament in Jamie's eyes. She could tell that he still held a torch for this Babe girl that was mentioned a brief moment ago. "Let me guess, you fell for her didn't you?"

When Jamie didn't reply, she simply took that as a yes.

"It's sort of complicated," he replied.

"Well do you want to talk about it?"

"There's too much to talk about. We might be up all night."

"I don't think you're going anywhere anytime soon," Erin took a quick glance at the window. "It's pouring outside and your clothes are still drying. So if we have to stay up all night, then we will. I mean, what better way to get to know each other."

Jamie was about to answer when someone knocked at the door. "Looks like the pizza is here. Do you need any cash?"

"No I got it," Erin got up from the couch. "My treat. You are my guest after all," she winked at him before running to the door.

An hour managed to pass as the two of them ate the pizza. Neither of them realized how hungry they were until the pizza itself had arrived and was devoured. Both of them were sitting on the floor now with the empty pizza box in front of them with satisfied looks on their faces.

"Now that was good," Jamie rubbed his stomach, leaning back against the couch. "What is it about New York pizza that makes it so good?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out myself," Erin replied. "So tell me more about Babe."

"There really isn't much to tell," Jamie took a sip of soda. "She's no longer in my life and I told myself I needed to move on."

"So where is she?"

"Babe, her son and her mother are now in San Diego. They had to leave town after the whole baby mess unfolded or rather was revealed. Again, long story that I really don't want to get into," he ran his fingers through his hair. "Babe and Bianca used to be best friends until Bianca found out how Babe was keeping her presumed dead daughter from her. There's a lot that's happened in my life in the past year. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot."

"So humor me," she snuggled closer to him. "We do have all night."

"Where do you want me to start?"

"Anywhere, your choice."

Jamie's eyes focused away from Erin as he began to recall the recent events of his life. This was the first time he found himself really reflecting on what had happened and everything he put his parents through. Needless to say, this time he was spending with Erin right now was becoming a little bit of an eye opening experience for him.

"I spent the last few months on the run with Babe and her son," Jamie began. "This whole baby mess not only included Bianca's daughter, it also included Babe's son, the one she thought died in a helicopter crash almost a year ago. I won't go into all the details because it's just one long horrid story filled with lies and me almost getting killed but what I will tell you is that she changed my life in more ways than one."

Erin rolled her eyes, still leaning against Jamie. "Where have I heard that line before?"

"I thought I was doing the right thing, keeping Baby James away from JR, his biological father and also Babe's husband or ex, whatever. But as the time on the run wore on, my conscience was kicking in," he continued. "I tried to ignore it for a long while but one day, things just kinda blew up. I forget how we were lured back to Pine Valley but once we got home, Babe, James and I, it wasn't a pretty sight."

"So the welcome wagon wasn't rolled out. What did you expect to happen?"

"Well, to put it lightly, Babe wasn't really welcome back in Pine Valley. So she wanted to flee again and this time she wanted to leave for good. Babe wanted me to go with her and her son, James to San Diego where we would all start a new life as a family," Jamie still remembered that night. It was still as clear as day in his head.

_"Jamie, we need to go," Babe pleaded. "I told you being back in this town wasn't going to do us any good."_

_"Babe, I don't understand," Jamie sat down on the couch. He was cradling James in his arms. "You got what you wanted, your son. JR willingly let you have custody of James and now you don't even want to stay in Pine Valley?"_

_Babe came over to Jamie and sat down next to him. She stroked the top of her son's head, looking into Jamie's eyes at the same time. "No one accepts me here. Everywhere I go, I get these looks. It's like I'm the town pariah."_

_Jamie stood up from the couch and walked over to James' crib. He placed the baby boy down gently, covering him with the blanket before turning to face Babe. "Give it time. Everyone will have to get over it sooner or later."_

_"Time? Jamie, I don't think anyone will be forgiving Mama and I anytime soon."_

_Jamie ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't know how to respond to her knowing that what she was saying was indeed true. Even he was still on a road of forgiveness, especially now, as he was still working on earning the trust of his mother back._

_"So then what do you suggest we do Babe?"_

_"Come to San Diego with me," she replied. "I mean it… you, me and James. We can start ourselves a new life and all. Clean slate."_

_Jamie nearly spit out the water he was drinking but managed to swallow it in time. "You want to leave town again? Babe, no… I can't do that. I can't just up and leave everyone here. No."_

_"Why not? You did it before, you can do it again," Babe wanted to stand firm on her suggestion. She was determined to win this battle with him._

_"Because when we left town the first time, we had intentions of coming back some day. Yes I know it didn't go as planned but now that I am back home, now that we are back home, I can't leave."_

_"I don't understand," she watched as Jamie came closer to her, sitting back down on the couch. "Tell me why you're choosing everyone else over me and your son, James."_

_"Because Babe, as much as I care about you, I just can't up and leave again," he sighed. "My whole life, everything I know is right here in Pine Valley. James is your son, not mine. He may have felt like it and you gave me the opportunity to be the father he needed but I can't just leave everyone else here, my father, my mother, my friends."_

_"So I see, you're picking them over me."_

_"No, it's not that," Jamie tried to find a way to rationalize with Babe. "It's just that I have this feeling in my gut that I'm needed here. I can't say why but it's like there's something out there telling me not to leave."_

_Babe sighed. She knew how dedicated Jamie was to his family and friends and she couldn't blame him for not wanting to leave Pine Valley. After all, it was his home and never really hers. Pine Valley only became her home by name because of JR. And now that he wasn't in her life anymore and still trying to deal with the fallout with Bianca, there wasn't much reason to stay in town anymore._

_"I'm going to miss you," she ran her hand against his cheek. "James is going to miss you too. But I understand how you can't leave. Your life is here, your home is here."_

_"So you get what I'm trying to say?" Jamie looked back at Babe. "How I can't leave again."_

_Reluctantly she nodded. "Yes, I do."_

"And she left town a week later," Jamie sighed. The flashback in his head played out completely as he recalled it for Erin, bit by bit. "She didn't issue any ultimatums but in the end she understood. And then I told mysef that I needed to move on."

"Whoa," Erin didn't even know what to say.

"Told you it was long and complicated," Jamie got up from the floor and sat on the couch. He motioned for Erin to join him. "Babe was a huge part of my life this past year and honestly, having her in it did force me to grow up a little bit." His eyes focused away once again.

Not wanting to resist, Erin joined Jamie, nestling herself in his strong arms. "I could really get used to this," she smiled. "Hey are you okay?" She noticed how quiet Jamie had gotten in the past couple of minutes. "I'm sorry if I brought up a sore spot before."

"What huh?" Jamie shook his head. "I'm sorry, my mind just drifted off for a second."

"Really Jamie, I wanna know what you're thinking about."

"I was umm… I was just thinking about a lot of stuff, my dad, my brother, Maggie," he looked down at her. "What you're wearing reminded of Maggie. She's got a similar pair of track pants."

"Ah okay," Erin nodded. "Your brother?"

"More like step brother," Jamie corrected. "Once again, it's just another part of my complicated life. I grew up with JR and at one point my father and his mother were married. So it was only natural that we thought of each other as brothers, even if we weren't related by blood." He paused before continuing, "The past year has been crazy for us but now we're on some road to reconnecting as brothers, especially now that Babe is out of both our lives."

"And I thought my life was complicated," Erin sat up. "You got me beat."

Jamie raised his eyebrows with interest. This couldn't have been a more perfect time to find out more about the girl who was sitting in front of him. After all, he still didn't know much about her. "So, now that I've poured my heart out, it's your turn. Tell me more about you."

"Me?" she pointed at herself. "You don't want to know about me."

"Oh come on," he pouted with his puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

Erin sat silent for a moment. She suddenly had a feeling of reluctance come over her. This was the first time someone had ever asked about her life. As she looked into Jamie's eyes, the reluctance to share began to fade. Something inside of her knew that she could trust Jamie with whatever she said.

"If you don't want to, it's okay," Jamie was trying to apologize.

"No wait, I want to,"

"You want to?"

"More like I need to," Erin bowed her head. "It will make me less of a mystery and I think things will work out better for us if you knew more about me."

"Only if you feel like it," Jamie leaned forward and grabbed his can of soda. "I don't want to push you to do anything you don't want to do."

"You're probably wondering how it came to be that I'm living here in New York. I mean, after all, do I come off as a native New Yorker to you?" Erin leaned back on the opposite end of the couch.

"Honestly, I haven't been here too long, so you could have fooled me," Jamie laughed. "Fine, how about we start with basics and then you can take it from there. Go any which way to want. Got any brothers or sisters?"

"Three brothers, all older. I'm the youngest of the bunch and the only girl," she replied.

"Sounds like a big family. I take it you had a lot of protectors?" Jamie wondered.

"Not really," Erin answered. "Two of those brothers I barely even know. I was still really young when they both walked out of my life. It's the youngest brother who I know so well and he knows me well too."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jamie didn't know how to reply. "I mean about your older brothers, the ones who weren't a part of your life. But hey, at least you still had one more, right?"

Erin sighed. She hoped that she didn't have to bring up her childhood but it almost seemed unavoidable at this point. It only made sense now that she continued since the topic was on the table already.

"My childhood, how I grew up… it wasn't all green grass or the white picket fence kind of childhood you're picturing," she looked down at her hands. "It was nothing like that, in fact it was the total and complete opposite. My father was drunk, a monster to put it lightly and my mother and brother were his victims. He woud hit them… a lot and it still pains my heart to even think about it now."

"Erin, seriously, if this is too much for you, you don't have to tell me," Jamie could see the pain in her eyes. He could also hear it in her voice.

There were no tears on Erin's face, only a slight tinge of anger was evident as she continued to pour her heart out to Jamie. "I don't think he ever meant to do it, to hit them but the one thing was that… he never laid a hand on me. Not once, but I think it had more to do with my brother wanting to protect me from it all. He always told me to just stay out of the way, to stay in my room and not to come out until he said it was okay." She continued to lament on her past. "But you know, as much as I love my brother for protecting me, I wished he hadn't."

A puzzling look came across Jamie's face. "Why? I mean, you're saying that you'd rather you got beaten than your own brother protecting you? It's quite obvious how much he loved you."

"Yeah, I know he loves me and I love him, but Jamie… sometimes the sins of the father are visited upon the son. Ever heard of that saying?"

"I know it all too well. JR was like that but he managed to change. He still found the goodness in his heart."

"My brother, yes he's still got some good in his heart too but at the same time… I wished he'd come to realize how he is so much like our father. That no matter how much he tries deny it, he can't come to terms with that fact. It's almost like he's created this alternate reality in his life, one where he's striving so much to undo any of the bad stuff that happened to him. I've come to terms that the way we grew up wasn't our fault. That my two older brothers leaving the family wasn't our fault but somehow he blames them for everything that's happened to us and the way we grew up. It's like he can't let go of that pain or resentment. I found a way to get past it, I'm still hoping that someday he can."

"Your brother, he's harboring a lot of pain isn't he?" Jamie didn't want to pry but somehow everything that Erin was telling him struck a chord. It was triggering something in the back of his mind but he couldn't pinpoint it.

"Don't get me wrong, I love my brother but sometimes he scares me. Or rather, I'm scared for him. I'm scared that one day he'll go too far and not realize that he's got the same kind of short fuse our father had."

"Sounds like he needs some help."

"Yes and I hope that where ever he is living now, he's realizng that fact. I'm hoping that he's managed to start a life where the ghosts of his past haven't come back to haunt him."

"Do you still talk to him?" Jamie asked.

"Not really, well we've tried to maintain some sort of contact but it hasn't been working too well. I mean, we write each other from time to time but lately, I've gotten so busy with school that I've fallen behind."

"Well, you should give it a try… I mean, if this were my brother, I'd want to at least see if he was doing okay. In respect to everything you've told me that is."

"Yeah you're right," Erin replied. She was startled by a crack of thunder outside her window, causing her to jump into Jamie's arms. "Sorry, these storms kind of scare the bejeezus out of me sometimes," she laughed, realizing what she had just done.

"Hey no worries. I'm not going anywhere," Jamie smiled. Another crack of thunder occurred this time causing the lights to suddenly go out. "Yup, looks like I'm staying here. Considering the power just went out."

"I guess now is a good a time as any to light some candles," Erin laughed.

"Forget the candles," Jamie yawned. "Why don't we just get some sleep. I'm kind of tired and since we're on the couch already… I figure we should get some shut eye."

"I guess that's a good idea," Erin agreed as she nestled closer to Jamie.

"Good night," Jamie kissed her forehead. Closing his eyes, he tried to lull himself to sleep, hoping that Maggie and Bianca were okay back at the house. Of all times for the power to go out, it had to happen the one night he wasn't there to make sure things were okay.

Bianca tossed and turned in bed. She could sense the uneasiness in the room. Although thunderstorms didn't bother her as much anymore, she could tell that something about them was stirring Maggie. Bianca noticed how Maggie's eyes flinched at each crack of thunder passed and it only sparked concern as each moment passed by. To Bianca, they both may have weathered some treacherous storms before but there was still something hidden behind Maggie's deep brown eyes and it was becoming more and more evident as rain pelted against the window and the thunder was making itself present outside.

Bianca knew that deep down, Maggie still harbored some pain that was being kept secret within the depths of her soul.

As her gaze fell upon the Maggie, Bianca noticed how she began tossing in her sleep. Bianca knew right away that Maggie was caught in a dream and frowned knowing what was about to happen next.

Maggie suddenly sat up in bed, trying to catch her breath. She was startled as another crack of thunder passed, this time causing her to cringe with fear. Soon enough a pair of arms were wrapped around her body. Instinctively, she wanted to fight the embrace but she surrendered allowing herself to just sink into Bianca's arms, taking the comfort she so needed at the moment.

"Talk to me Maggie," Bianca whispered into her ear. "Tell me what's going on, tell me what I can do for you."

Maggie had lost all strength at this point in time. She couldn't move, as all she could do was tremble with fear. She wanted to badly to just erase the memory that had been playing itself out in her head but it was next to impossible. Bianca may have gotten over her storms but for Maggie, they only brought back painful reminders of her recent past.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"Let me help you," Bianca whispered again. She watched Maggie pull away and walk toward the window. "Please?"

Maggie stood at the window looking down at the street before turning around to look at Bianca. Her eyes remained lost and filled with fear. She swallowed the knot that formed in her throat struggling to find the words she wanted to say.

Bianca got up from bed and walked over to Maggie. She rubbed her back and wrapped her arms around her again, this time tightly not wanting to let go. She was determined to see Maggie through this nightmare for tonight and however long it would take

"You can tell me," Bianca pleaded.

Maggie stood at the window. She could feel Bianca's concern washing over her but as much as she wanted to speak, it was her fear that caused her to tremble inside and out. She turned around to face Bianca, looking into her eyes for a moment then reverting back to a downcast gaze. She finally found her words in a whisper, one that was audible enough for Bianca to hear.

"I'm fine," she whispered, then walking away. She managed to escape Bianca's embrace and out of the bedroom.

Bianca watched Maggie pull away once again. It was clear to her how Maggie was still fighting her own demons and it was paining Bianca to know this. She wanted nothing more than for Maggie to be happy, to be free of whatever inner torment she was experiencing but Bianca also knew that it would take time. That nothing happens over night. Healing took time and for Maggie, there was still an arduous road ahead of her.

She followed Maggie to Miranda's room, where she watching over the sleeping child. Maggie looked up at Bianca briefly and smiled. "Looks like she's out like a light," she whispered. "I guess this kid knows how to weather thunderstorms."

"Yeah," Bianca whispered as she entered the room. Her eyes fell upon her sleeping daughter, adjusting her blanket. She looked up at Maggie again, noticing that she was fighting eye contact. Bianca placed her hand on top of Maggie's and looked at her consolingly. Another crash of thunder was heard outside the window, causing Maggie to jump slightly.

"It's okay," Bianca spoke softly. "They still scare me too sometimes. Maggie, it's okay to be scared. I know what it's like."

Maggie looked up at Bianca, wanting to get lost in those brown eyes in front of her. The same eyes that beamed back at her, letting her know that she was loved and would do anything to make sure she was happy.

"You know what it's like?" she maintained eye contact with Bianca for another second before looking away. "Bianca, please… it's just a thunderstorm." Pulling her hand away from Bianca's, she walked away again.

Bianca sighed, watching Maggie leave the room. The avoidance that Maggie was putting herself through would test anyone's patience but for Bianca, it wasn't anything like that. Seeing Maggie avoid whatever was tormenting her at the present moment only made Bianca more determined to break through. She never gave up on her before and wasn't about to give up on her now.

She followed Maggie back to their bedroom, finding her standing by the window like before. Her eyes were focused outside, looking down at the street and watching the rain fall, drop by drop at an alarming speed. Bianca could see literally see the cocoon Maggie created around herself, the barrier that she had up trying to protect her mind and her heart from the reminders of the recent past. And as Bianca stood there watching Maggie, seeing the rain pelt against the window and the thunder and lightning rip its way through the dark skies, Bianca also saw the seams of Maggie's soul or what was left of it being torn bit by bit.

"Maggie…" Bianca approached softly. This time, treading carefully around the broken seams of what she could sense and feel.

Bianca wanted to break through to Maggie, to crack the facade that had managed to build itself up. She wanted to let Maggie know that it was okay to still be afraid, that nothing was solved over night. Healing wasn't something that magically happened with the snap of the fingers but it would happen through time.

The rain continued to fall at a rapid speed, occasionally hitting against the window. As the minutes passed, the thunder died down a bit, which in turn provided much relief for Bianca and Maggie. More so, it was for Maggie, who still hadn't come to grips with how rain storms shook her with fear. She turned around to face her, wanting to get lost in Bianca's eyes. The desire to ignore everything around them grew with each passing second, but deep inside Maggie's heart, she knew that there couldn't be anymore avoiding.

Staring back at Bianca, Maggie felt the concern. She walked back over to the bed and sat down, running her hands through her hair and then rubbing her eyes. Bianca watched Maggie do this but didn't speak. She chose not to push the situation knowing soon enough, the strong facade would crack.

So Bianca waited. No matter how long it would take for Maggie to reveal what is still tearing at her soul, Bianca would wait. And as she waited, the rain was beginning to let up.

Maggie sat on the bed, her eyes shifted left and right. Each second ticking by, almost like the rain outside that slowed down to a trickle. It seemed almost calming that the rain had let up but the atmosphere inside the bedroom told a different story. At one point the silence was soothing for Maggie but at the seconds passed, the uneasiness only grew.

Bianca came over to Maggie, kneeling down in front of her. Taking Maggie's hands in hers, she attempted to make eye contact with her. "Talk to me, get angry, let it out. Whatever it is that has you feeling this way, Maggie I want to help you through this but I can't do much if you don't tell me what's going on."

"You know everything already," Maggie replied with an exasperating tone. She knew what Bianca was getting at but a part of her remained reluctant to open up.

"I only know what you told Kendall that night," Bianca was still kneeling down in front of Maggie. Her eyes remained steadfast as did her determination. "I want to know what happened. I want to know what is it about this storm that has you scared. Don't push me away Maggie, I love you and I want so badly to help see you through this. Let me help you."

Maggie struggled to find the words she desperately wanted to say as she felt Bianca's hand against her cheek. The warmth of her hand brought a tinge of comfort but at the same time brought back a jarring memory to the forefront.

As Bianca wiped away a tear that streamed down Maggie's cheek, her gaze was held on Maggie's eyes. The strong facade was finally broken, revealing for the first time to Bianca how lost Maggie still was, that there was still a long road to healing.

"I'm here," Bianca whispered. "Just talk to me, I'm here for you."

"_How could do you this to me? Trying to keep all these secrets? You say you love me but I just don't get it," Maggie stood in front of Jonathan, clearly upset._

"_What are you trying to say Maggie?" Jonathan replied, trying to control his anger. "Are you accusing me of lying to you?"_

"_No, I'm not accusing you. I am calling you on it."_

"_So you're saying that I'm a liar. And what if I am? What are you going to do about it? It's not like you have anyone to turn to," Jonathan snarled. "Jamie is gone and your cousin David is no where to be found either."_

"_I have Bianca," Maggie knew she was taking a risk by mentioned her name. But this was a risk worth taking. No one, not even Jonathan was going to keep her apart from her best friend. "I still have Bianca and not even your lies can keep me away from her," she saw how Jonathan's eyes began to seethe with hate but it didn't stop Maggie from standing up to him. "You may be my boyfriend but you cannot tell me what I can and can't do and who I can and can't see."_

_Jonathan's eyes continued to glare at Maggie. With every word he was hearing from her, it only heightened his anger more and more. But it would be her next phrase that became the last straw for him. He felt his palm rising, not even realizing what he was doing so at that same split second she was speaking._

"_Bottom line is, Bianca would never lie to me. But you lied to me. You tried to keep me from her. Why did you feel the need to…"_

_*SLAP*_

Maggie flinched as she flashed back to that harsh moment in time. She breathed deeply and then sighed, "That was the first time he hurt me like that but it wasn't the first time he hurt me. He said he was sorry… but, but it wasn't the first time," she said taking hold of her wrist.

"Your wrist… you said you sprained it that time I noticed how it was bandaged up. He did that?"

"Yes that was because of him."

Maggie looked away from Bianca, only to be startled by a crack of thunder outside. It seemed that the rain was picking up again. Her eyes filled with fear, her voice caught in her throat.

"_No… please don't…"_

Bianca saw the panic in Maggie's eyes and felt it too. She got up from the floor and immediately wrapped her arms tightly around Maggie. It was going to take everything she had to keep Maggie from falling back into that dark place.

"Maggie, listen to me… you're here with me okay? You're safe," Bianca spoke softly, reminding Maggie was where she was. "Don't shut down on me."

Taking a deep breath, Maggie fought hard not to fall into that dark place. She turned her head toward Bianca and looked into her eyes. Swallowing the knot that managed to lodge itself in her throat, she struggled to find the words to say. Maggie finally found her words through that of a soft voice yet still filled with fear.

"It was raining that night," she began. "The night you and I went out to the movies."

"Yes I remember," Bianca recalled. "And you were in a hurry after it was over. You skipped out on dinner. Maggie, what happened that night?"

"_I'm sorry, I didn't realize the time."_

Maggie's eyes shifted left and right before answering. "Jonathan happened that night. He was angry."

"_Do you know how long I was waiting outside for you? This time could have been spent with me!"_

"He wouldn't speak to me on the ride home," she spoke calmly. "And when we did get back, his eyes… all they did was just glare at me. He went off, totally off. I told him to leave. No, I demanded for him to leave. I hated when he got that way."

"_Just leave! You scare me when you're like this."_

"But he wouldn't listen," Maggie's gaze fell to the floor as her voice was now a whisper. "And when I tried to make my way to the door, he grabbed me."

Bianca could only gasp. She was finding it hard to fathom any kind of reaction. All she could do was sit with Maggie, helping talk her through recalling the ordeal. If there was one thing Bianca wanted to do, it was to help the one person she loved most, face her demons.

"_Jonathan… let… go… You're hurting me… please…"_

Maggie inhaled deeply before continuing. She no longer held the downcast gaze, her eyes now focusing straight ahead. "I knew things had gone too far at that point. Something in him snapped. Every other time that he got angry, I managed to talk him down. But it only got worse and worse. He would hurt me and then sincerely apologize," she laughed sarcastically. "And I actually fell for it every time. I accepted his heartfelt 'sorry' and I stayed. Why did I stay?" Maggie sighed in defeat. "Why didn't I listen to you?"

Bianca moved closer to Maggie, who rested her head on Bianca's shoulder. Bianca proceeded to drape her arm around Maggie, holding her close. She ran her fingers through Maggie's hair. "It wasn't your fault," she said consolingly. "Nothing you did made him this way."

"Then why did I stay?"

"Because baby, you loved him. Or at least you felt something for him. We are all drawn to other for a reason and something about Jonathan made you fall for him."

"_I'm sorry… let me make it up to you, please"_

"He would hurt me. He hurt me that night badly, the pain wouldn't go away and yet he just kept pushing. Wanting to make it up to me… wanting to make it all better… make what just happened go away. It was just like every other time for him, but not for me. This time around…" Maggie voice whispered. "I said no."

"_Jonathan… please… no…"_

"But he wouldn't listen. The rain outside just kept falling down harder and the thunder… the lights went out and I didn't know what to do at that point. I felt so trapped."

"_It's okay… I'm sorry I hurt you before."_

"His voice," Maggie swallowed slowly. Her words began to stumble as she recalled the next few moments in her head. "I… I… His hands… He ran his hands down my arms… I felt his hands… Bianca, I can't…"

"Shhh… it's okay, I'm not going anywhere," Bianca spoke softly. "You're safe."

"_I didn't mean to… Everything is okay now… There's nothing to worry about."_

A tear streamed down Maggie's face. "He kept saying that everything was okay. He whispered that in my ear over and over but everything wasn't okay. Nothing was… and I know I said no to him. I did but he just kept pushing."

"_Just this once, for me."_

Maggie swiped away the moisture on her cheeks and took a deep breath. "He wouldn't stop… he wouldn't listen. I told him no… but he wouldn't… listen… And the rain just kept falling outside, getting stronger and stronger. Each second would pass by and it felt like all my soul was being torn in half and that my strength was disappearing bit by bit." She heaved a deep sigh, trying to relax in Bianca's embrace. "I felt so broken… and then I needed to get out… I had to go somewhere."

"Was that the same night you came to my place?" Bianca recalled the late night Maggie had knocked at her doorstep.

"Yes," she nodded. "I needed to get out of there so I waited for him to fall asleep and I went over to your place. I had no where else to go… I couldn't stay there with him… I needed to escape. And it was too cold to go to the boathouse."

And that was when it all clicked for Bianca. The dark circles under Maggie's eyes, the lack of words or details… the somewhat withdrawn state Maggie was in. "Why didn't you say anything to me?"

"I was scared. I didn't know if he was going to come after me or even you. I didn't know what to do at that point. I just wanted to go someplace where I knew I felt safe. And when morning came, I left… before you woke up. I went back to my place and faced him," Maggie's voice gained a little bit of confidence. "I told him to leave and if he didn't, I would confess everything I knew about what he did."

"What happened then? Please Maggie, don't tell me he tried to…" Bianca's concern rose.

"No… he didn't try to hurt me again. He agreed to leave me alone."

"Until that day at the boathouse, Jamie told me about it."

"Yeah… and the rest… well I'm sure you can figure it out now," Maggie yawned. She was still in Bianca's arms. "I'm sorry I never told you about this. It's just… it's just… well…"

"I know," Bianca nodded. "But the only way you can heal is by facing whatever has you feeling scared. You don't have to be brave for me… just because you think it'll only bring back my own pain. Maggie, I love you and all I want to do is to see you happy. Whatever it takes, if we have to talk through things every time there's a storm… we'll do it. Whatever it takes." She wrapped her arms tightly around her. "You got that?"

"Yeah," Maggie rubbed her eyes. "It's late…"

"I know," Bianca replied. "How about this, a cup of hot chocolate and some marshmallows and then we'll try and get some sleep?"

Maggie released herself from Bianca's embrace and tilted her head. "Now you know I could never resist something like that."

"I'll take that as a yes then," Bianca stood up. She held her hand out to Maggie, leading her from the bedroom to the staircase.

"One question," Maggie asked as she was being led down the stairs.

"And what's that?" Bianca glanced up.

"Do we have any pickles?"

Bianca laughed, "Oh god… is this revenge for when I was pregnant with Miranda?"

"No, just craving pickles and hot chocolate," she grinned.

"Well, at least it's not ice cream," Bianca rolled her eyes as she entered the kitchen with Maggie.

* * *

It was almost one in the morning and Greenlee was sitting alone at the Fusion office. Everyone else was already home for the night but she decided to stay behind and get ahead on some reports. The lights were dim inside of the office itself but there was just enough lighting around her desk as she continued to cross check the numbers on her sheets.

"What in the? Missing cash?" she shoved the pencil behind her ear. "This can't be right."

Almost instinctively, her ears perked up. She heard the elevator doors open, hearing the soft footsteps of someone entering behind her. "Who's there?" she spoke, keeping her guard up in defense of any unwanted visitors.

There was no response as the footsteps walked closer to her. He chose not to speak but rather approach her with the greatest of ease. As he got closer, he could sense the panic in her body.

Greenlee's eyes quickly scanned the desk for anything that could be used as a weapon. Immediately she grabbed the first remotely sharp thing she could find and turned around. Her hand was raised in the air, ready to strike when needed.

"I said… who's…" Greenlee was ready to stab whoever it was there when that someone grabbed her hand, stopping her from using her means of protection.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Jonathan still held onto Greenlee's wrist. "Careful, you might hurt someone with that thing." He gently took the letter opener from her hand and placed it down on the desk. "You're here late."

Greenlee's eyes followed Jonathan's hand, watching him place the sharp object on the desk. She then glanced up into his eyes. There was something eerie about them as they stood inside of the dim office. She couldn't help but feel a bit unsafe in his presence.

"Hey, you okay?" Jonathan asked. He poured a glass of water and handed it to her. "Here, you look like you need this."

"Thanks," Greenlee took the glass from him, taking a small sip. "I have a reason for being here late, what's yours?"

"Oh, just came by the office to grab a couple of things I've got stored in the back room. I'm bringing it all over to my new place."

"New place?" Greenlee became curious. She had no idea Jonathan was moving out of the penthouse. This left her partially relieved yet worried at the same time. With Jonathan living on his own, it meant that she couldn't keep an eye on him anymore.

Jonathan smiled. "Yeah, I inked the deal a few weeks ago. With Fusion being so busy lately, I just haven't had the time to move in," he took a step back. "I'm going to grab my stuff. Do you need a ride?"

"No, it's okay," Greenlee declined the offer. "I've got my car. You know what, I'm going to go home, Ryan's probably still up waiting for me."

"Okay," he nodded. "Good night."

"Yeah… night," Greenlee walked into the elevator. She stood inside, watching the elevator doors close in front of her.

Jonathan watched Greenlee disappear into the elevator. Once he knew that she was out of sight, he took out his cell phone and dialed the number again. Time after time, he was still unsuccessful, but that still didn't deter him from making contact.

He patiently listened to her voicemail again, waiting for the beep.

_Hey, you've reached Erin. Leave a message and I'll get back to you._

"Erin, it's Jonathan. Call me okay? I'd really love to visit soon. I heard that New York is wonderful during the summer, so call," he shut his cell and shoved it into his pocket. Soon enough, he'd be in New York. All he needed to do was make contact with his sister.

* * *

The rainy night gave way to a beautiful spring morning. The sun shone through the windows of Kendall's condo, causing her to wake up from what was probably the best night of her life.

A sigh escaped from her mouth as she glanced over at the nightstand. She knew that her one night with Ethan wouldn't last forever. Within the next hour, Derek Frye and his officers would be back to take him to prison. This would mean goodbye indefinitely once again for the two lovers.

Ethan slowly opened his eyes and smiled. That same smile soon faded when he saw the downcast look on Kendall's face. He brought his hand to her cheek, his thumb swiping away a tear that hadn't yet escaped from her eye.

"You know how much I love you right?" He still held her cheek in the palm of his hand.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Then I have faith that you will find a way to clear my name," he said with confidence. "No matter what it takes, I know in my heart that you will never rest until you get the proof."

Kendall laughed, "When did you become Johnny Optimistic? Last I checked, you had lost all hope that your name would ever be cleared."

"Let's just say that spending this past night with you," he kissed Kendall's hand followed by kissing her on the lips. "It reminded me that I need to have faith. And knowing your determination, I know you'll pull through."

Kendall smiled at him. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," he smiled back. "Now why don't we get out of bed and make the best of whatever time I have left with you.

* * *

Bianca awoke to the soft mumblings of Miranda that could be heard over the baby monitor. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled, noticing how her arm was still wrapped around Maggie. She surmised that the two of them were snuggled close all night, considering that the blanket was tangled up in their legs.

Realizing that Maggie could use some more sleep, Bianca kissed Maggie on the forehead and slowly peeled herself out of bed. She covered Maggie with the blankets and stood for a moment, gazing at her sleeping figure in bed. Bianca couldn't help but stare as she watched Maggie stir slightly and sigh, still remaining in a peaceful slumber.

Bianca gazed at Maggie for as long as she could until her attention was brought over to the toddler calling out for her. Smiling, she exited the bedroom stopping at the bathroom first before entering Miranda's room.

"Hi sweetheart," Bianca picked up her daughter and smiled. She turned off the baby monitor and then sat down on the floor with the baby girl. Bianca handed Miranda one of her stuffed toys which immediately captivated the young girl. Needless to say, she was entertained right away. "You know, it was raining hard last night. I'm surprised you didn't wake up or get scared at all the thunder and lightning. Then again, you've always been my brave little girl," she rubbed the top of Miranda's head. "Maggie came in here last night to check on you. She thought you might be scared but you weren't. You just slept right through it all. She really loves you, so much that she trusts you… doesn't she?"

Miranda looked up at Bianca briefly as any one year old would and smiled. She then turned her attention back to her stuff toys, playing with them as if they came to life. Like any one year old, she was enthralled at what was in front of her rather than what was going on around her.

"Last night, Maggie finally opened up about what happened to her," Bianca continued to talk to Miranda. "And you know, for a little while, I was scared for her. I know you probably want to laugh at Mommy because I'm supposed to be brave right? But to be honest, I was scared for Maggie. She looked so detached and I was afraid that she'd fall back into that dark place she was in when Jonathan hurt her. I talked her through it; I remembered how strong she was for me when I needed her so I had to be strong for her. And I was…" Bianca sighed deeply. "A part of me regrets for not being around when she needed me the most. You know, I'd do anything to just turn back time so I could have been there. I would have saved her.

She picked Miranda up from the floor and carried her back to the bedroom. Bianca and Miranda stood at the doorway and watched Maggie sleep. "But the important part is that I'm here for her now. We're all here, you, me, Kendall and Jamie and we'll never let her be hurt by Jonathan or anyone else ever again.

* * *

Kendall stepped off of Fusion's elevator and strolled into the office wearing a smile. "Greetings everyone!" She didn't have much time to say any more of a hello. After taking all but ten steps into the office, she was suddenly accosted by Greenlee and dragged back into the elevator. "What the? Greenlee?"

"We can't talk in the office," Greenlee explained as the elevator climbed to the top floor. "Jonathan is around and he might be listening."

Kendall looked at Greenlee unsure. "Okay, for a second there I thought you had a sudden urge to love out some girlish fantasy that was in your head."

"Kendall please," Greenlee laughed. "Maybe in your wildest dreams that would happen… sure. But right now, we've got serious issues at hand. We really need to move a little faster on this plan of ours."

They both exited the elevator and climbed the stairs to the Fusion rooftop. A warm breeze blew as they stood by the ledge. Greenlee was looking down at the street watching the cars drive by. Kendall on the other hand, was beginning to wonder what it was that needed to move faster with regards to their plan.

"Greenlee, what's going on?"

"Jonathan moved out. He's got his own place," Greenlee's cell phone rang, stalling their conversation for a minute. "Yeah, we're up on the roof. Come straight up here." She turned her attention back to Kendall. "I think he's moved into where your sister and Maggie used to live."

"Bastard. He's really not giving up on her is he?" Kendall replied. "We need something. Something to nail him with or at least to hold over his head so that Ethan's name can be cleared."

"And I think I have what you need right here," spoke an accented voice from behind. "Here ladies," Aidan held up a clear plastic bag. "Is your proof that Jonathan Lavery shot his own brother."

"Aidan, you got them?" Greenlee eyed the bag in his hand. "You got the surveillance tapes, didn't you?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"How the hell did you get Zach Slater to part with those?" Kendall wondered. She knew how Zach could be a stubborn man.

"Let's just say that my connections in England can do some naughty damage to a one Zach Slater, also known as Alexander Cambias Jr." Aidan smirked. "So what's the next step ladies?"

"Blackmail?" Kendall suggested.

"Too typical," Greenlee shook her head.

"Why don't we just turn this into the police," Kendall knew it was a long shot. It wasn't everyday that people walk into police stations handing over evidence and demanding that someone be set free.

"Sure, like we can just waltz into Derek Frye's office and tell him to set Ethan free. Like we can say, 'oh, I have these tapes that will prove Ethan didn't shoot Ryan. Easier said than done," Greenlee explained.

"Actually… I took care of the Ethan issue," Aidan smiled at Kendall.

"Aidan? What are you talking about?" Kendall eyed him with suspicion. "Aidan?"

"I umm… well I did a little sweet talking with Derek this morning and we cut a deal," he looked at both women. "You'll have the love of your life back by the end of the day and he can leave with you when you go back to New York."

Kendall wrapped her arms around Aidan hugging him as tight as she could. "You! I really owe you now," she kissed him on the cheek. "What did you do to get Derek to agree to this?"

"Nothing that you need to be concerned about. An agent never reveals his secrets," he was still hugging Kendall. "You just need to take Ethan to New York with you. Jonathan cannot know that he's been released."

Greenlee smiled, sharing her happiness with Kendall. At the same time, she felt bad for bursting her bubble, bringing everyone back to reality. "Ummm guys, hate to poop the party but we need to worry about Jonathan and I think I've come up with an idea."

* * *

"Okay Miranda, let's try this again," Bianca was sitting on the living room floor. "Come on, say it for me. Say Mama."

Miranda looked up at Bianca and smiled. Drops of baby drool trailed down her mouth and onto her shirt. All she could do was smile and be amused at the bewildered look on her mother's face. It was quite obvious that this baby girl had other things on her mind besides trying to please her mother.

Yes Miranda Montgomery truly had Kane in her blood.

"Alright, I guess you're just not going to say it," Bianca leaned back against the couch. "Maybe next time," she sighed.

"I am sure she will say it soon enough," Maggie spoke from the entryway. She was already showered and changed. "In time you will hear that precious word," she came over and sat down on the couch. "Thanks for letting me sleep in."

Bianca smiled. She reached up and took hold of Maggie's hand," You needed it. Especially with last night, I figured you'd like to get some extra sleep time in."

"Sorry if I had you scared for a bit," Maggie warmed at Bianca's touch.

"No need for apologies. It's a new day and I think it's time for new beginnings too."

Miranda jumped up and laughed. She made her way over to where Maggie was and stood at her feet, placing her hands on Maggie's knees for support. She looked up at her and smiled. It was clear how much Miranda adored Maggie.

"New beginnings, I like the sound of that," Maggie nodded.

"Yes and I figured… what better way than to start with narrowing down a list of names for this cute baby boy that is going to be a part of the family soon," Bianca reached up and rubbed Maggie's stomach. "You'd like that wouldn't you? For us to finally settle on a name?"

"Here we go again," Maggie rolled her eyes. "Where's the book?"

Bianca searched the area with her eyes. When she finally located it, she laughed. The sight before her was completely priceless.

"What's so funny?" Maggie asked.

"Miranda"

"What about her?"

"She's sitting on the book," Bianca giggled. "Sorry, it's just moments like these that I find entertaining. I guess a part of me is still getting used to how she's my Miranda."

Maggie sighed. She knew what Bianca was trying to get at. "Hey, I know you'll never get those nine months back, but she's here and she's yours. Right where she belongs."

"Yes she is," Bianca nodded. She went over to her daughter and picked her up. "Okay little miss, enough keeping the book warm. It's time for Maggie and me to pick some names," she placed Miranda in her playpen and handed her a bottle.

Bianca sat down next to Maggie, placing the book between them. Neither of them wanted to pick it up knowing how this was probably going to end up being another unresolved name discussion.

"Are you going to open the book or will I have to?" Bianca rolled her eyes. "Come on now, I know the boy isn't due for another few months but wouldn't it be great to at least have some possible names? And when I mean some, I mean like a choice of two or three possibilities. I don't want to be standing in that delivery room still wondering what to call him."

Maggie laughed. "Well you know, I heard somewhere that Ross is a manly name," she smirked, only for a pillow to be tossed at her. "Fine… Joey?"

"Ross Stone? You'd really name your first born son, Ross Stone,"

"Ick… now that you say it, scratch that," she agreed. "Joey Stone… Joseph Stone… Nah, sounds too plain. I want a name for him that will stand out."

"Stand out?"

"Yeah, like how you name Miranda, Miranda…"

"Well, I was reading the Tempest, but I don't think you want to name your little boy after any of the males," Bianca moved closer to Maggie, holding the book in her lap.

"Why?"

"Unless you want to use the names, Prospero, Ariel, Caliban, Alonso or Ferdinand," Bianca recited the male characters off the top of her head. "Maggie, I'm sure there's a name you're set on. Isn't there?"

"Honestly… no," Maggie answered. "Alright, another idea… Chandler?"

"What is with you and the guys from 'Friends'?" Bianca asked. "Let me guess, you've been watching reruns haven't you?"

"Maybe," she smirked. "Okay, back to this book," flipping it open Maggie randomly landed on whatever page opened in front of her. "And we open to… the letter B. Ready… Bailey, Benjamin, Billy, Bobby…" she recited the names out loud going down the list. "Brian, Brody… Bianca, none of these names goes with Stone."

Bianca was eyeing the list of names as Maggie read them aloud. Her eye landed on a particular one, reciting it silently in her head. Smiling, she looked at Maggie and pointed to it. "There, it's the perfect name."

Maggie followed where Bianca's finger was pointing to. She read the name and grinned. "Wow, it is perfect. Wait… I think I have another one too. Let me find it," she flipped to another letter in the book. "I remember seeing it before… it's around here somewhere… there," she placed her finger next to it. "Now, wouldn't both the names we have picked out blend well?"

"Hmmm… yeah if you put my choice first and then yours as the middle name," Bianca mulled both ways in her head.

"Hey, why do you get first billing?"

"Think about it for a second," Bianca replied. "Say it in your head, both ways and then you tell me which sounds better."

Maggie heeded Bianca's words and thought to herself for a second. She mulled both possibilities before finally agreeing. "Yeah, it does mix well your way."

"See… you can thank me later."

"Funny."

Bianca sat for a moment, saying the full name in her head. She looked back at Maggie, "So… it's set? That's going to be his name?"

"Yeah, I think so," Maggie nodded. "And to drive everyone else in this house crazy, namely your sister and Jamie, we'll keep it a secret until he's born."

"Sounds like a great idea," Bianca giggled. "You do know that it'll just make them all nuts not knowing."

"Yes I know and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. Let Jamie think my boy is going to be named James Jr… sure."

"I'm sure Kendall has ideas of her own."

"Well, too late plus who is the mom here? Them or me?"

Bianca brought her hand to Maggie's face and brushed away some hair. "You my dear, you."

Maggie sat back for a moment. Her eyes wandered toward the window noticing how sunny it was outside. She glanced at the clock quickly and pondered. Grabbing a map from the table, she scanned it and then looked back up at Bianca.

"Go get dressed. It's nice outside," her eyes fell back down toward the map. "Change Miranda too. I want to take a field trip."

"Field trip?" Bianca raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah…let's take Miranda to the zoo. It's the perfect day for it," she hoped Bianca would agree. "Please? Just think, we can take Miranda to see the ponies."

"You won't give up until I say yes huh?" Bianca took note of Maggie's puppy dog eyes. Whenever she did that, it was obvious how no wouldn't be taken for an answer.

"Fine… fine. We will go to the zoo."

"Yay," Maggie cheered. "Now, you two go get dressed. I'll wait down here."

Bianca took Miranda upstairs to change while Maggie still sat on the couch. She beamed at the fact of how well her day was going. It almost made what happened the night before feel like a distant memory. As she sat there, the smile still remained on her face, thinking about her little boy. "Well Little Man," she looked down. "You've got a name, a lot of people who love you. A lot of people that love us and we sure are lucky. Yes we are." Her eyes glanced back up to see Bianca and Miranda coming back down the stairs.

"Ready?" Maggie asked.

"Yup," Bianca nodded. "I have Miranda's back right here and the stroller is inside the car. Car keys are right here in my hand. I'll drive and you navigate."

"Perfect," Maggie stood up. "Let's head to the zoo! Hey, where's Jamie?"

"Now that you mention it, I don't think he came home last night," Bianca looked around for signs of his presence. "He probably spent the night at that girl's place. You know, the one he's been seeing…"

"Well, good for him. I'm happy that he's got someone again." Maggie slipped on her shoes and made her way to the door. "It takes away the sting of embarrassment from when he kissed Kendall."

Bianca followed Maggie with Miranda in tow. She closed the door behind her and locked it, only then realizing what Maggie just said. "Wait, Jamie kissed Kendall?"

"It's nothing to worry about," Maggie laughed. She pulled Bianca's hand, leading her to the car. "Come on, the zoo awaits!"

"Jamie kissed Kendall?" Bianca repeated, still a bit flabbergasted as they reached the car. "Jamie?"

* * *

Erin sat in front of Jamie, holding a plate of fries to his face. She hoped the aroma would wake him up since she wasn't successful all the other times from earlier in the day. "Jamie…" she spoke his name softly. "Come on… wake up."

Jamie's eyes fluttered open slowly or at least that was what it looked like to Erin. She laughed, pushing aside the hair from his eyes and leaned in to kiss him.

"Mmmmm," he replied with a grin. "No one was ever woken me up with a plate of fries."

"What?" Erin feigned hurt. "Is that all you can say?"

Jamie sat up and pulled Erin into his arms. "I was just kidding," he kissed her forehead. "Thanks for letting me stay."

"You're always welcome here," Erin grabbed a fry from the plate, eating half and then feeding the other half to Jamie. "The kid at your place must be cute and all but I bet she knows how to keep you from having a good night's sleep from time to time."

"Not really. Miranda's cute and very well behaved," Jamie adjusted his position so that he could reach for some of the fries. "She's an angel."

"Oh well since you say that, I want her to have this," Erin reached over to the side of the couch and pulled out a box. Opening it, she handed what looked like a small toy to Jamie. "Give this to her. I think she'll like it."

Jamie stared at what was handed to him. "A pony?"

"Not just any pony. That's' My Little Pony," she made him aware of his classic toy illiteracy. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, it's just that I've never seen one of these things before."

"Hey, she's no thing. That's Sheba, it's what I named her," Erin smiled. "And I think Miranda will like it."

"Sheba?"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" she laughed.

"No," Jamie grinned. "Miranda will love it, thanks."

They continued to eat the fries, feeding each other every so often. Jamie definitely loved being around her and the feeling was mutual on Erin's part. She pushed the hair out of his eyes and softly kissed him. "You're sweet, do you know that?"

"I've been told," he winked at her. "You're sweet too."

"You're just saying that."

"No really, you are," he said sincerely. He noticed how Erin turned away. "Hey, what's wrong? Did I say something?"

Erin didn't reply right away, still letting his words sink in. "No, you didn't say anything wrong. It's just that… no one has ever said that to me before. So it umm… it kinda caught me off guard."

Jamie's face dropped. He realized for the first time what kind of effect Erin's childhood had on her. "You're sweet and pretty special too. You remind me of Maggie. You know, the two of you would probably hit it off as friends."

"You think?"

"Probably," he nodded. "One of these nights, I'll in invite you over for dinner and then you can meet the whole gang. You'll love them."

Erin warmed at the thought. "Sounds like a plan."

"I should go check if my clothes are dry and head home," Jamie gently slid her off of his lap and onto the couch. "Bianca and Maggie are probably wondering where I am since I didn't come home last night."

"Yeah, you should," she agreed. "I hung your clothes in the bathroom."

"Thanks," he said walking into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

Erin leaned back on the couch and heaved a happy sigh. She gazed at the bathroom door and felt her heart skip. This was the first time she ever felt this way about someone. Truly, if it wasn't any mistake, she was falling for Jamie. Erin closed her eyes for a second and smiled, thinking about the time spent with him so far. Her quiet reverie was soon interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone.

Without checking the caller id, she answered, "Hello?"

"Finally! Finally I got a hold of you," he spoke on the other end. "Erin, do you know how many times I've called?"

She was taken aback by who was on the other end of the line. Of all people she expected to be calling her, he was the one she least expected.

"Erin? Are you there?"

Snapping back from her surprised daze, she swallowed. "Yeah bro, I'm here… How you been?"


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Kendall stared off into the distance. Her eyes focused on Jamie and Erin who appeared to be playing catch. There was something about Erin that left Kendall mystified. On the lighter side of things, she was happy Jamie had someone in his life. Given the living arrangements, it couldn't be easy being around Bianca, Maggie and her twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. But now that he had love in his life and Ethan being the second male in the crazy household, things seemed to be running smoothly.

They appeared to be running more smoothly except for the fact that Kendall couldn't shake the unsettled feeling she kept having. It was the same feeling she would get every time Erin was around.

Ethan came over to Kendall, casually wrapping his arms around her. "Hey," he softly kissed the side of her neck. "What's going on inside of that head of yours? I've been out of prison for a month now, living with you and yet, you're still not looking all too happy. What gives?"

Kendall turned her body slightly and leaned into Ethan's embrace. "I am happy," she said convincingly. "I couldn't ask for anything more now that I have you in my life again." They both then turned their heads to Miranda who was sound asleep in her stroller.

"So what's with the distant looks?"

"It's not you. It's her," she turned her head toward Erin and Jamie. The two of them were now laughing, Jamie having tackled Erin to the ground.

"What about her?" Ethan asked. "She looks harmless."

"I don't know what it is, but something about her doesn't sit right with me," Kendall's eyes were still on Erin. "It's like she's hiding something."

Ethan moved closer to Kendall. He focused his eyes with hers. "And you're determined to find out what it is? Paranoid are we?"

"Not paranoid, just being protective," she replied. "I'm not about to let anyone get hurt here. We came to New York for a fresh start and to protect Maggie. Something inside me keeps saying that whatever Erin is hiding, it somehow has something to do with Maggie."

* * *

Jamie grabbed his hat from the ground and dusted it off. "You're good," he grinned.

"You're just saying that," Erin smiled. "And you don't look too bad yourself with the new haircut and your Yankees hat."

"Well, I do miss the shaggy hair but it'll grow back again," he tossed the ball into the air, catching it in his glove. "Wanna go another round?"

"Tell you what? Why not see if we can score some tickets to a Yankees game one of these nights," she suggested to him with a smile. The look on Jamie's face was one of eagerness as she already knew what made him happy.

Jamie's ears perked up, "Yankee game? Tell me when and I'm there."

"I knew you'd like that idea."

"Well, you also know what makes me smile," he pulled her close. "But also, you don't have to do all this stuff for me."

"Jamie," she stood up on her toes and cupped his face with her hands. "I want to."

"If you insist," he leaned in to kiss her. "So, you still haven't told me what your brother said when he called last month." He asked this as they walked back over to where Kendall and Ethan were sitting.

Erin stopped abruptly when Jamie mentioned the call she received last month. She hadn't said much about it since then but the conversation was still fresh in her mind.

"_Erin, you there?"_

"_Yeah bro, I'm here."_

"_It's been a while since we've talked. How's my little sister doing?"_

"_Quite well… the semester is pretty much winding down," she rubbed the back of her neck. "It's been a good year."_

"_That's great… you sound, I don't know… You sound distracted," Jonathan could sense uneasiness in his sister's voice._

"_What? No… It's that I have a guest over, well actually a friend."_

"_Mmmmhmmm, you mean your boyfriend? You can't hide anything from me."_

"_Fine, you're right. My boyfriend is over here, he's actually in the bathroom getting changed. Would you like to speak to him so I can get the big brother approval from you?"_

_Jonathan laughed, "No, it's okay. You're grown up and I trust your judgment. But I am happy for you. At least one of us has some love in our lives. I had it, but things ended a few months ago."_

"_Sorry to hear that. You'll find someone else," she paused for a moment. "So Jon, you mentioned on the voicemails about visiting, I…"_

"_Yeah, I was wondering when I could," Jonathan cut her off, eagerly awaiting his sister's response._

_Erin scratched her head. She turned and looked back at the bathroom door before replying. "The semester is almost over and then there's finals and summer session. Bro, how about we hold off on a visit until August?"_

"_I wouldn't be a bother or anything," Jonathan sighed. _

"_August…" Erin repeated. _

"_Alright, I can wait until then," he reluctantly replied. _

"_Perfect," Erin turned around again and saw Jamie come out of the bathroom. "Gotta go. Take care of yourself."_

"_You too."_

_Jamie came over and sat down next to Erin," Someone call?"_

"_No worries, it was just my brother," she adjusted Jamie's hat and smiled._

"Erin, yoohoo…" Jamie waved his hand in front of her face. "Earth to Erin."

Shaking her head from the apparent daze she drifted into, she looked back up at Jamie. "Sorry, yeah I'm fine," she smiled. "What did you ask again?"

"I was asking about your brother and that phone call but never mind. It's not important anyway."

An ice cream truck drove past the two of them catching Erin's attention. Turning to Jamie, she grabbed his hand. "Come on," she dragged him across the grass.

"What the? Erin?"

"Ice cream," she pointed at the truck.

Jamie rolled his eyes and laughed. Erin was still pulling him toward the truck. "Hey slow down. It's not like the world is going to end if you don't get your ice cream."

"Ha ha, but still…" Erin pouted.

"Man, you act just like Maggie when she spots the ice cream truck," he stopped her from dragging him further. Stepping in front of her he crouched slightly, "Hop on my back. We'll get there faster."

"Oh fun! Did you do this to Maggie too?" Erin laughed. "This whole piggy back ride thing."

"Maggie? Heck no," he joined her in laughing. "We're almost there."

* * *

Maggie stepped into Julia's office and sat down. Her eyes wandered around the room scanning the various frames that hung on the wall. She quickly noticed photos of Maria, Julia and Anita, seeing how the family resemblance was quite obvious.

"Sorry I took so long," Julia walked inside and sat down at her desk. "The stress of being a doctor these days," she smiled. "So it's too bad Bianca couldn't see how your little boy is coming along."

"Bianca had to run off to a meeting somewhere here in the city," Maggie replied. "Young and savvy business woman, not to mention the best mother to her daughter, and sometimes I find myself in awe of her."

Julia smiled, "Well, I can believe that. Bianca must really adore her little girl."

"She does and after everything she's been through, I'm happy that Bianca finally has happiness in her heart again. It was a tough year for her last year, for all of us."

"Maria told me," Julia nodded. "I can only imagine how tough it was for Bianca and you."

Maggie sat silent as she realized what she said before. Her smile faded into a downcast gaze. Julia's words rang true as she thought about last year.

Quickly taking note at Maggie's change in mood, Julia surmised that it was something she said that caused the sparkle in Maggie's brown eyes to disappear. "Maggie, I'm sorry if I…" she began to apologize.

"No, no it's okay. I'm okay. I was just thinking back," Maggie looked up. She did her best not to let the regret show but it was almost impossible to hide it. "Dr Santos, I mean Julia, did you ever wonder what life would be like if you had the chance to turn back time and fix your mistakes?"

"Constantly," Julia swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "Constantly after I was raped. There was actually a point in time when I felt so worthless, so helpless, like I was a total screw up. It wasn't one of the best times in my life but I had a lot of people around to help me realize that holding in the pain, the regret wasn't helping me heal. The pain that I held onto only dragged me down further. It only fanned the flames of my inner turmoil."

"And sometimes you just want to close your eyes and hope that when you open them, you wake up from whatever nightmare you're in, but you can't. You can't because you already are awake. And you realize that it's no dream but you're living in it, that nightmare," Maggie said solemnly. "You want to escape but you feel trapped with no one to turn to."

And Julia nodded, "I really understand that."

They sat quiet for a moment before speaking again. Julia wanted to give Maggie a moment to compose herself. It was clear as day that a touchy subject was brought up. She never intended to bring it up but Julia could also tell by having Maggie talk things out, she'd learn more that Maria ever got to find out.

"You understand?" Maggie cleared her throat. "Sorry, I didn't mean to turn this into a sob session. Must be the hormones."

"Hey, don't be sorry. Don't ever be sorry. I'm glad that we can talk like this," Julia reassured her. "Maggie, do you mind me asking a question? And I don't mean to pry but you can trust me."

"Okay."

"Anita told me about the night she saw the bruise on your face on New Year's. Why didn't you tell her what happened?"

Maggie thought back to New Year's at S.O.S. She vividly remembered that night and when Anita questioned her. "I um… I thought he would never hurt me again. Jonathan and I, we talked things out and… you know, looking back on things now, I sometimes wonder about the choices I made."

"He manipulated you didn't he?"

"He promised that he'd never do it again. He said he was sorry and I believed him."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. A lot of times in abusive relationships, the other person makes the promise of it never happening again," Julia replied. She did her best to keep this from turning into an emotional conversation. That was the last thing she wanted to happen.

Maggie felt comfortable talking to her. It was one of the few times she ever felt at ease talking to someone she barely knew. Then again, Julia Santos was someone she knew by association because of Maria, so putting trust in her was no problem. Yet, as she sat there, being open about what happened with Jonathan felt like second nature. It was almost like having a talk with Bianca.

"It's a part of the cycle isn't it?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah, it is," Julia replied. "The cycle is perpetuated by three common emotions: love, hope and fear. Sounds familiar doesn't it?"

Maggie sat silent for a moment, contemplating Julia's words. Before she could say anything else her cell phone rang. Pulling it out of her bag, she looked at the caller id and smiled, "It's Bianca, I should take this."

"Oh go right ahead," Julia replied. While Maggie was on the phone with Bianca, she opened up Maggie's file again, her eyes scanning the notes that Maria had passed onto her when she was asked to take over being Maggie's doctor. Looking over the file, Julia couldn't help but be a little more curious as to what kind of situation Maggie was in that brought her to this point. She saw the strides that Maggie was making in terms of healing and such but when looking into those deep brown eyes of Maggie Stone, she still saw someone who held some fear.

Maggie turned back around and sat down. "Sorry, Bianca was telling me that she was running late and that I should just meet everyone at the park," she explained. "So… next appointment?"

"Yes, next appointment," Julia flipped open her calendar and scanned the page for openings. "How about July 10th? That sound okay to you?" she looked up and saw Maggie nod. "Okay then, just let the receptionist up front know so that she can pencil you in."

"Alright then," Maggie turned and grabbed her bag. "Ummm… hey Julia?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for the talk," she smiled. "You're the first person other than Bianca that I feel comfortable talking to."

The makings of a smile appeared on Julia's face. "Anytime you need to talk, you have all my numbers. We can do lunch sometime if you'd like."

"Yeah, that sounds good. I'll let you know," Maggie replied, opening the door. "Bye"

"Bye," she watched her leave. After the door closed, Julia picked up her phone and dialed. "Hey Maria, it's me," she spoke. "I've got a favor to ask you. Well yeah I'm fine," she laughed. "Okay, so the favor… what are you doing this weekend?" she waited for an answer. "Perfect… I'm thinking of coming to visit Pine Valley this weekend. It's been a while since Anita, you and I have done the whole sister-girls night out thing. I need a break from the rigors of being a doctor and I figured visiting my two favorite sisters would be a nice getaway… Alright, this weekend it is. See you then."

* * *

David drove along the New York City streets, amazed at how nothing changed since his last time there. He didn't heed any of Greenlee's advice in calling Kendall before coming to New York. All he wanted to do was to make peace with Maggie. It had been so long since they said any sort of civil words toward one another and he didn't want to let any more time pass or have the distance grow even further between them. He always saw himself as a father figure to Maggie and with everything that happened in the last year, he felt that it was time to make amends.

If there was anything else David was determined to do, it was also to protect Maggie from any other harm that would come her way. He loved her too much to see her hurt again, especially when she didn't have him to turn to during what was probably the lowest point of her life.

Turning the corner, he drove down the city block. His eyes paid close attention to the similar brownstones that lined the street. Soon enough, he matched the address of one of them with the address that was written on a sheet of paper Greenlee had given him. Pulling his car into the spot in front, he got out and climbed the steps. Taking a deep breath, he gathered his courage and rang the doorbell. After about five minutes, he surmised that there was probably no one home. Not wanting to give up, David sat down on the steps and decided to wait.

He would wait and wait for as long as it takes. No matter what, he was not leaving New York until he knew and felt that he and Maggie got that closeness they once had back again.

"David?" a voice spoke in front of him.

He looked up already knowing what she was about to say. "Look I know I was supposed to call Kendall before coming here," he said, running his hand through his hair.

"You're damn well right you should have," Greenlee replied in a scolding like manner. "But I guess that doesn't matter anymore since you're here." She sat down on the steps next to him. "I take it no one is home?"

He shook is head, "I'm guessing they're all at the park."

"So we wait?"

"Yes we wait."

* * *

Ethan held a container of Cheerios in his hand feeding the cereal to Miranda little by little. The baby girl took quite a liking to him and as of late, it was only him that was able to get Miranda to eat without any trouble. Miranda smiled at her cousin as he fed her more of the Cheerios.

"Yes, you like that right?" Ethan smiled, feeding more of the cereal to her. "Say, if you're real good and finish the last bit of this, I'll tell you a story."

Miranda jumped up and nodded. She saw the last bits of cereal in his hand and went for it. Chewing and swallowing, she got up and went over to sit on his lap. Miranda began to mumble some choice baby words as she snuggled into a comfortable position.

"Hey now, I think I've got some competition," Kendall laughed as she looked at her niece. "Look at her! She's totally stealing my man."

"Now now Kendall," Erin ate the last of her ice cream cone and then took a bite from Jamie's.

"Hey, that's my ice cream. You already finished yours," Jamie pouted.

"Yeah and who bought it?" Erin shot back a grin.

Jamie didn't even respond. He could never win with her when it came to ice cream. Instead of saying another word, he simply cracked a smile.

"Like I was saying," Erin continued. "I think Miranda here just adores her big tall cousin, doesn't she?" she smiled at the baby girl.

Kendall held back the choice words she wanted to mutter to Erin. She glanced over at Ethan who gave her a 'just grin and bear it' kind of look. "Yeah, she does," she responded simply. "So, how about this story you're going to tell her."

"Yes story," Ethan nodded his head.

"Wait," Jamie interrupted him. "Before you begin, Erin and I have something we want you to have." He reached over at a plastic bag and pulled out what was inside. "Actually Erin wanted you to have one of these. She seems to have a thing for hats and well... she got me to get this for you."

Ethan reached over taking what was in Jamie's hand. "A baseball cap?" he asked, complete with a questioned look.

"Not just any baseball cap. It's a Yankees baseball cap," Erin smiled.

"Oh? The Yankees? Doesn't surprise me how you've got a team with that name," he put the hat on. It fit snugly on his head. "Perfect fit."

"See told you he'd like it," Erin leaned back against Jamie. "And you said he wasn't a hat person."

"Fine, you win again," Jamie pulled her close.

"Okay now that we've got the whole gift giving thing out of the way," Kendall saw how Miranda was getting fussy. "Tell the story before Miranda gets all cranky."

"Yes, story," Ethan repeated from before. "Okay, so once upon a time, there was this pretty little girl who always dreamt of visiting the pyramids in Egypt," he looked down at Miranda who was paying close attention to his words. "Now this little girl had the most vivid of imaginations. Day in and day out, she'd flip the pages of her books, the ones that contained pictures of the pyramids, the sphinx and the many people who rode the camels. Needless to say when she grew up, her goal was to set out on an adventure and discover the mysteries of the Egypt. Well, that and she took a liking to camels. No one really knew why she loved the animal but when asked, all she replied to everyone was that she was simply fascinated with camels."

"Caaaaa mel," Miranda mumbled slowly.

Kendall, Ethan. Jamie and Erin laughed. They all took notice of what really interested Miranda, the mention of a camel. It had been a while since Miranda mumbled any coherent words, not since her day of calling Jamie 'dada'.

"Looks like we all know what she likes," Jamie reached over to tickle Miranda's stomach. "Camel huh?"

Miranda laughed, her eyes then shifting toward the happy sight that was behind Kendall. She stretched out her arms in hopes of being picked up. Only one person made her react the way she was reacting. Miranda's smile grew bigger as she concentrated on that one person, her mother, Bianca.

"Well there you are," Bianca reached down and picked up Miranda. "I hope you weren't any trouble for your Auntie Kendall and everyone. Were you?"

"She's an angel," Ethan shifted over so that Bianca had some room to sit down on the blanket. "I was telling her a story before you arrived. But it seems that Miranda has taken a liking to only one aspect."

"Let me guess," Bianca sat down comfortably with everyone. "Ponies right?"

"Not exactly," Kendall laughed. "I think she's over the whole pony thing. She's moved onto camels now."

"Camels?" Bianca raised an eyebrow. "I blame it all on Maggie. We took her to the zoo last month and this little girl," she tickled Miranda. "Has become amused by any animal now. But today it's camels?"

"Blame me for what?" Maggie finally made her way over to everyone.

"For Miranda's new obsession with animals." Bianca looked up at her. Judging from the smile on her face, she surmised that her appointment went fine. "Today it's," she turned to Ethan. "Camels right?"

Ethan nodded and checked his watch. "Now that everyone is here why don't we all head back and so that I can get started on the scrumptious dinner I've promised all of you." He stood up and extended his hand out to Kendall. Jamie followed and did the same for Erin while Kendall took Miranda from Bianca and placed the baby girl in her stroller.

Ten minutes later, they were all on their way back home. Ethan walked hand in hand with Kendall as did Jamie with Erin. Both men were still donning their hats, which in turn made Kendall giggle every once in a while. Bianca pushed Miranda's stroller as Maggie walked next to her. Not much was said between either of them, causing Bianca to be sparked with a bit of curiosity as to what was stirring around in Maggie's mind.

"So everything is fine?" Bianca asked her.

"Yes, more than fine. I'm great," Maggie replied. "How did that meeting go?"

"It went fine, or at least I think things are fine. I had to do a great deal of calming down some of the board members with regards to the company finances," Bianca tried to forget the mess of a board meeting she attended a short while before.

"Company finances? What's going on?" Maggie was suddenly interested and concerned.

Although Ethan and Miranda were the sole heirs to the Cambias fortune, Bianca was left in charge of things. She agreed to take on the responsibility ever since Ethan had been sentenced to jail. Even though he was out of jail now, it was advised by Aidan that she keep running things, so as not to set off Jonathan.

"It's really more on the Fusion/Enchantment end. Something seems to have gone awry with the finances there," Bianca reassured Maggie that things could be fixed. "No worries though, I'll have Kendall and Greenlee check into things."

Kendall, Ethan, Jamie and Erin were intrigued with the whispers they saw between Bianca and Maggie. They all surmised that it could only mean one thing. One wild guess was that the two of them were secretly chatting over baby names.

Speeding up to the two of them Kendall nudged Maggie lightly. "Okay, give it up. We all know the two of you are chatting over what to name little Stone. So, when are you going to let the secret out?"

Maggie turned her head to Bianca and grinned. She looked back at Kendall, "Sorry, not going to tell."

"Oh come on," Jamie chimed in. "We all know you're going to name him James Martin Stone. Right Mags?"

"What makes you think she'll name him after you?" Kendall laughed. "You know what, Ethan sounds really nice. Ethan Stone," she said out loud, while flashing a smile to Ethan himself.

Bianca and Maggie tried to hold back their laughter. Both of them loved how everyone was trying to pry the name out of them but neither would budge. It was decided that the baby's name would remain a secret until its birth and it was going to stay that way.

Kendall then walked next to Bianca in hopes her sister was going to spill the name. "Come on Binks, I know you are just dying to tell me."

"No way," Bianca shook her head. "Not going to tell."

"You're driving all of us crazy. I hope you know that. Even Greenlee has been bugging me about this every time we've talked on the phone," she pouted while feigning hurt at the same time. "Tell dear sweet sister."

"Nope, not telling," she shook her head again. "You all will wait. It won't be long anyway. It's only a couple of months."

"Yeah, more months of guessing," Erin laughed. She knew how much this was driving Jamie crazy not knowing but saw the fun in it anyway.

"Fine," Kendall huffed. She was still determined to find out what name would be, thus not giving up on her quest.

They all turned the corner and continued to walk down the street. Kendall turned to Ethan, "So, what is on the menu for dinner?"

"Dinner? Well, you're going to have to wait until it's cooked and ready," he replied with a smile. "But I promise you. I promise all of you that it will definitely be a meal you will never forget."

"Oh sounds like we're in for some good food," Jamie said enthusiastically. "It beats spaghetti a la Stone every week."

"Hey what about fried chicken a la Montgomery?" Bianca added. "I make some good stuff too."

"Well, it's a welcome change," Jamie replied.

"Yes indeed. A welcome change it is," Maggie agreed. Her cheery mood was soon cut short when she saw who was sitting on the steps in front of the house.

Bianca was quick to take note of Maggie's change in mood. "Maggie, you okay?" Her eyes followed to where Maggie's eyes were focused on. After realizing what Maggie was looking at, she sighed. "It's been a while since we've seen his face."

"Yeah and a while still is too soon," Maggie replied. Approaching the steps, she looked up at David while acknowledging Greenlee also. "Greenlee, so nice to see you."

Greenlee stepped down and went to hug Maggie. "Hey kiddo, I hope you're doing okay."

Maggie hugged her, all the while casting a glare at David. "Yeah, I'm great," she was still glaring at her cousin who was sitting up on the steps. "What's he doing here?"

"Maggie, he's here because he cares about you. Give him a chance," Greenlee spoke softly.

"Greenlee?" Kendall said, obviously surprised to see her friend in New York. "What's going on?"

"Not much, I thought that I would just drop by and see how things were going," she gave Kendall one of those 'we need to talk' kind of looks. It was clear that Greenlee wasn't really in town to visit but to clue Kendall in on everything that was happening back in Pine Valley.

"Wow, I guess we can catch up on things," Kendall nodded. "Okay, make way for the chef. If we don't get him into the kitchen now, we'll be waiting forever for dinner to be cooked." She walked up the steps taking Ethan with her. "Later we'll talk," she whispered to Greenlee as she passed her by.

Greenlee acknowledged the words and then saw Bianca and Miranda. "Hey sweet little girl," she bent down to Miranda's stroller. "Bianca, do you mind?"

"Oh go right ahead," Bianca smiled. "Let's all go inside. David, it's good to see you. Join us for dinner won't you?"

"Thanks Bianca, I'd be glad to," David replied. Yet at the same time, he still noticed the unsettled look on Maggie's face.

"Just give him a chance to talk," Greenlee whispered, passing Maggie by as she walked up the steps.

"Jamie, sweetheart, why don't we go inside also," Erin suggested, feeling as though she was interfering on a family moment. "Come on, I'll show you how to work the new graphics program on your computer," she was tugging Jamie's arm.

Jamie on the other hand wasn't so quick in getting inside the house. He saw the look on Maggie's face and wanted to stay outside by her side. He knew how much Maggie detested David for what did to Bianca. "Mags? You need me to stay out here," he asked her.

"No, I'm fine. Go on inside," she reassured him. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, James I'm sure."

"Okay," he reluctantly climbed the steps. "We're all inside if you need any of us."

Maggie nodded. She waited for Jamie and Erin to get inside before turning her back to David. It went without saying that she still held some anger for what he did but at the same time, a part of her felt relieved to see him here. But she didn't let that relief show. It was clear that she was still angry at him for all his misdeeds of the past year.

"Maggie?" David came down from the steps, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Immediately stepping away from his touch, Maggie turned around to face him. "Why are you here?"

"Because I care about you."

"Care? You care… about me? You haven't cared about me in a long time," Maggie shot back. "You want to talk, go ahead and talk."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"David why are you even here?" Maggie did her best to remain calm. The last thing she wanted was to get upset. She knew deep down that he meant well by coming to see her but she still wasn't ready to put the past behind them.

David came closer to Maggie. He put his hand on her shoulder and spoke softly, "You may think that I haven't cared about you in a long time, but I do. I really do."

"Save it David. I don't want to listen to any of this."

He pulled out his car keys and opened the passenger side door. "Come on, let's go for a drive and find some place to talk."

Maggie looked back at him. Reluctantly, she entered the car. David got in on the driver's side, started the car and drove away in silence.

* * *

Bianca watched David and Maggie from the bedroom window. She sighed, wondering what his purpose in visiting was, knowing how the sight or even the mention of his name upset Maggie. Watching them drive away, she hoped that whatever it was that they were going to do, it yielded happiness instead of more heartache.

"Bianca?" Greenlee called out from the doorway. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah sure," Bianca turned around and sat down on the loveseat in the room. She made space for Greenlee who immediately filled the vacant spot.

"I'm glad you're here," Bianca began. She hated having to approach Greenlee with the kind of news she had, but it was a necessity. "I know that you're supposed to be catching up on things with Kendall but I've got an important matter that you need to be concerned about."

"The missing Fusion funds," Greenlee beat her to the punch. "I heard that there was a board meeting today."

"Yes, the results of the audit came in and the board is not happy. Greenlee, who would want to take money from us?"

"I can give you one guess," she answered Bianca. Her suspicions were now confirmed.

"Who?"

"Jonathan. He's got full access to all of our reports, accounts and funds," Greenlee's eyes began to seethe with hate. "That weasel… he probably used the money for the apartment."

"Apartment?" Bianca said perplexed.

"I guess your sister didn't tell you this. I don't blame her, I wouldn't either to protect the both of you," Greenlee looked at Bianca. "Jonathan isn't living with Ryan and me anymore. He moved out."

Bianca's face grew with concern. The fact that Jonathan was embezzling funds was one thing. But as she scanned Greenlee's face, she could also tell that something was up. "Okay, so he moved out and stole company money. I'm following, go on."

"Jonathan moved into the apartment that you and Maggie shared," Greenlee waited for a reaction. "Bianca?"

It took a couple of seconds for Bianca to digest this new piece of information. "That jerk," she said vexingly. "What does he think he can do? Find Maggie and whisk her back into his life? No way, the guy is a nut job. And worse yet, he used company money to buy a place that Maggie and I used to live in? It's like I practically own that apartment again. Tell me that this is all he's done."

"It's all that I know of," she replied. "I'm sorry."

"No, no… there's nothing to apologize for," Bianca assured her. "We had no idea Jonathan would do something like this. I had no idea he was this kind of person." She bowed her head, last words fading into a whisper.

Greenlee quickly took note of the sudden downcast gaze Bianca had. The topic of Jonathan Lavery was always a touchy one but for some reason, now more than ever, the mention of him always managed to kill any mood. She surmised that the latter part of Bianca's statement had nothing to do with business, it was all personal. Reaching over, she pulled Bianca into a hug. Her arms wrapped tight around her she spoke, "It's okay. He's not going to hurt her anymore."

Bianca sank into Greenlee's embrace. This rush of emotions caught her in total surprise. It was the first time she ever expressed any kind of guilt or pain over what happened to Maggie because of Jonathan. Needless to say, after being the strong pillar of support she was for the past couple of months, releasing these kept emotions became a moment of clarity and relief for her. She stayed in that hug for a few minutes, Greenlee right there giving comfort. It was definitely what she needed.

"Sorry about that," Bianca pulled away, trying to smile. "I don't even know what got into me."

Greenlee smoothened Bianca's hair. "Don't worry about it," she sat for a moment and gathered her thoughts. "I know we don't talk much but we're family. All business matters aside, there's something I want to ask. Well, just wanted to know."

"Sure, what?"

Greenlee drew a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I know your life has been turned upside down in the past year. You've pretty much gotten back what you lost. And that's great because you deserve happiness for once."

Bianca agreed, "Yes things have turned out well. Except for what Maggie went through but she's healing."

"I know she is," Greenlee's eyes glanced to the framed photo of Maggie on the dresser. "I can see you're doing the same. It's obvious too by the concern on your face. But a minute ago you almost… well you practically broke down in my arms. Bianca, how are you doing? Let's not talk about Maggie, let's talk about you."

* * *

David drove in silence. His eyes conveniently glanced over to Maggie in the passenger seat every now and then. He didn't mind the silence at all, knowing that she had every right to be angry with him. Turning into a parking lot, David parked the car, got out and opened the passenger door.

Maggie was still seated in the car when she saw David extend his hand out to her. She stared at it for a moment. Unwillingly, she took his hand and stepped out. Quickly taking a look around, she wondered where exactly David had taken her. She then walked away from him and spotted a park bench and sat down.

David followed after her. He didn't sit down but rather stood at the railing, inhaling the crisp air by the waterfront. He always had a love for the Brooklyn Bridge and hoped that by taking Maggie there, she'd soften up on him. He stared across the water for a few moments before turning around to face his younger cousin. He gazed at her, noticing how much she'd changed in the past months. David could see not only the physical changes but also the emotional changes that resided below the surface. To everyone, she looked like someone who was strong and able to carry herself well. But the more he looked at her, the more he saw a lingering pain or fear beneath that strong facade.

Maggie sat on the bench, letting the cool breeze blow past her face. The cool air was refreshing as she took a deep breath. She tried not to let the fact that David was present bother her. Her eyes focused on nothing in particular, looking as if she was blankly staring across the water, lost in her own thoughts. The sun was beginning to set along the horizon, which meant that it was going to get dark soon. This small thought unnerved Maggie but she managed to calm herself.

David sat down next to her and placed his hand on top of hers. "I'm sorry," he said with sincerity, hoping that she'd stop shutting him out.

"Do you mean that?" Maggie didn't want to turn her head but did so anyway. Her eyes met his as she searched for an ounce of genuineness in his eyes and words. "What exactly are you sorry for?"

"For everything."

"Everything?" Maggie repeated. "David, when you say everything, that's a lot to be sorry for. Just be honest with me for once, please? Sure, I get why you put Babe first, she's your daughter but still. What she did… what you did, it was wrong. And it still upsets me that you could do something like that to Bianca."

"Maggie you need to calm down."

"No… you need to listen to me," she continued on. "How could you keep Bianca's child away from her? How could you? Explain that to me," she stood up from the bench and walked to the railing.

"I did what I did out of love and devotion," David answered. He was still sitting on the park bench hoping Maggie would come back and sit down. "I had to protect my daughter and did what I needed to do. Just like you're doing what you need to do to protect your own child."

"You leave my son out of this," Maggie mumbled. "He has nothing to do with what we are talking about."

"A boy? It's going t be a boy?" he answered with some delight.

Maggie turned around. She wasn't about to let David change the subject and shift the focus on her. She wanted an explanation from him. She wanted to know why.

"Fine David, protect your daughter, protect your own grandson. But the baby that you kept from Bianca didn't belong to any of you. Miranda should have been with her mother. Her mother! The one who should have been there to protect her daughter. The one to show her love and devotion. But instead you took it all away. Everything! Bianca trusted you and you took it all away from her and for what? Heartache. You don't understand how much Miranda meant to her. Or to Kendall," Maggie stopped for a second to catch her breath. She held back the tears that were brimming in the corners of her eyes. Finally she finished her verbal assault. "You don't even understand what Miranda meant to me."

* * *

"Greenlee what are you talking about? I have Miranda back. I am happy," Bianca wanted to avoid the subject. As much as she was the kind of person who always shared her feelings, she felt this need to hold back.

"Bianca…"

"I haven't thought about me in a long time. I've been and still am worried about Maggie. A lot," Bianca replied, looking downward.

"Let's talk it out. You can't lay anything on Maggie now. She has too much on her plate. Talk to me, you need a friend. Let me be one for you," Greenlee said, full of concern.

"I'm still reeling over the fact that I've lost the first nine months of Miranda's life. I can't wait for Maggie's son to be born. And I… I feel so selfish about that. And jealous. Greenlee, I'm such an awful person."

Greenlee pushed Bianca's chin up. "Look at me. You are not an awful person. No way. This past year has changed you. It changed all of us. But in no way are you an awful person."

"Then I'm just selfish."

"No," she disagreed again. "Just like how Maggie fell in love with Miranda before she was born, you're doing the same for her son."

"I adore that little boy already and that's a given. But sometimes I feel guilty."

"Guilty? Of what?"

"That maybe I pushed Maggie into keeping her baby just so I could make up for all the time I lost with Miranda," Bianca looked away. Her eyes panned toward the window, thinking about David and Maggie.

"I'm sorry," David spoke again.

"Sorry is not going to cut it," Maggie said, upset. She did her best to keep all emotions in check but it wasn't working. "You may have earned Bianca's forgiveness but no amount of apologies will ever be enough for me. You're here now because you want to what? You want to protect me? Now? What about last year? What about before? Where were you when it was family that I needed? Oh wait, you were protecting your OWN family," she glared at him. "Yeah, your family forgetting that I even existed. So much for all those promises you made me."

David's forehead wrinkled at the mention of old promises. He was surprised that she remembered that far back. "Maggie, I…"

"You don't remember do you?" she surmised by the look on his face. "You rescued me after Vanessa had me kidnapped and almost killed. You said that you'd be the family I needed. David, you promised to protect me. Do you not remember that?" she questioned. "I guess not because I realize now that they were all just empty promises." Suddenly, she flinched. Her face showing signs of pain. "Owww…"

David shot up from where he was seated and rushed over. "Maggie, calm down… Tell me what's going on."

"It hurts David… it hurts," her hands clutched her abdomen. She was on the verge of tears.

Without any thought, David scooped Maggie into his arms and took her to the car. Stuffing the keys into the ignition, he started the car and peeled out of the parking lot. "It's going to be okay Maggie," he assured her, placing his hand on her face while weaving around the traffic. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you or your son."

* * *

"Why would you feel that way?" Greenlee searched her cousin's face. In all the time she knew Bianca, harboring guilt wasn't one of her traits.

"I don't know," Bianca shrugged. "I don't know what I'm feeling these days. So much has happened. I got my baby back, Maggie drifts away from me, and Anita suspects something is up with Maggie only from us to drift further. Then all of a sudden Maggie is back in my life without so much as an explanation. She starts acting weird and finally she breaks down and tells me what happened. And now she's carrying the child of the man that hurt her. Lives have been uprooted and it still feels like we're living in some sort of fear."

"Whoa slow down there tiger. That's one too many issues for me to handle. What is it about you Kane women? It always feels like one of you is carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders while the other ones are trying to save the day," she calmed Bianca. "Let's rationalize okay? What has you feeling guilty about Maggie keeping her baby?"

"I told you, that maybe it's my way of trying to make up for the time I didn't get to have with Miranda."

"And do you think that's true?"

"Yes, I mean no… I mean partly," Bianca brought her hand to her forehead. "Yes, sometimes it feels like that."

"Why do you think so?" Greenlee asked.

Bianca leaned back on the couch. "When I realized that my baby was alive and I had Miranda back in my arms, I was overjoyed. Then it all sank in, how I missed out on everything during the first nine months. I was just a visitor in her life. I missed all the firsts, the first time she rolled over, the first smile, the first time she began to crawl. All those milestones that parents are supposed to witness. Those Kodak kinds of moments, you know?"

Greenlee did her best to understand. "You think that with Maggie's son, you can experience all that? Everything you missed out on with Miranda?"

"It sounds selfish doesn't it?"

"No, it doesn't sound selfish at all."

"How do you figure?" Bianca sat, caught with surprise by Greenlee's words. In all actuality, she was also astonished being able to talk to her about all that has been weighing down in her mind.

"It's not selfish because all those firsts… Maggie would be sharing them with you," Greenlee smiled. "You'd be doing it together and I know she wants to do that with you. I don't know if I've ever told you this, but the both of you… The two of you are the cutest couple. I mean Kendall and Ethan are sweet, sure it makes me gag sometimes and I don't have to say much about Ryan and me but you and Maggie. The both of you look great together."

"Thank you," Bianca laughed. "Thank you for helping make sense of what I'm feeling. Maggie and I will get to experience all that together when… Bre... I mean when her son is born but I'd also like to say that Maggie and I aren't exactly 'together' yet."

Greenlee tried not to act surprised but wasn't able to do a good job at it. "Wait, you two aren't? But I thought…"

"You thought wrong," Bianca answered. "We're close and yes we've shared a kiss here and there but I don't want to push Maggie into something she's not ready for."

"You love her don't you?" Greenlee was still trying to make sense of everything. All this time, she figured that Bianca and Maggie finally got it all right.

"Of course I do!"

"And she knows that?"

Bianca nodded her head. "Yes and I know she loves me but we both agreed to wait until she was ready. And I told her that however long it takes, I'd wait."

_Bianca opened her eyes. She stretched her arms out and checked the clock. 'Nine' she noticed. Slowly, she turned to Maggie and saw how she was still asleep. She gazed at her and smiled, admiring her beauty. Her thoughts drifted back to the night before, reveling in the one moment of closeness they both shared. It was picture perfect, just like in the movies. _

_Maggie stirred. Her eyes opened slowly and met Bianca's with a smile. "Hi there."_

"_Hey you."_

"_Sleep well?"_

"_Do you even need to ask?" Maggie laughed. "Whenever I'm with you, I always sleep well."_

"_I do make a good cuddle bug don't I?"_

"_Yeah, it beats having dreams about chocolate covered mint candy canes," she gazed into Bianca's eyes. "What? So I dream about candy from time to time."_

"_Are you hungry?" Bianca slowly rose from her spot. Before she could go anywhere, Maggie took her hand. "Bianca wait."_

"_Yes?"_

"_Last night… last night was… You didn't have to do that all."_

"_Maggie, what are you saying? I'd do anything for you. We're going to do this your way. I know you're not ready for anything yet or a relationship and I understand that. I love you Maggie, so much. You do what you need to do and however long you need me to wait, I will." _

_Bringing Bianca's hand to her face, Maggie pressed it against her cheek. "Thank you," she whispered. "Now about me being hungry…"_

"_What would you like?"_

"_Well, a nice cup of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows sounds great right about now," she raised an eyebrow at Bianca. "That and some yogurt."_

"_Consider it done."_

Bianca stood at her dresser holding the picture frame in her hand, her thumb caressing the corner. She looked at the clock noticing the time. "Are Maggie and David back yet? They've been gone for an hour now."

Greenlee walked over to the window and looked outside. "I don't see his car, maybe he took her someplace to eat."

"No, that can't be. Ethan is downstairs cooking remember?" Bianca bit down on her bottom lip, holding back worry.

"I'm sure they'll be back soon. Why don't we head downstairs and check on Ethan. Better yet, we should make sure Kendall hasn't gotten a head start on eating all the food," Greenlee said, ushering Bianca out of the bedroom.

* * *

Jamie popped his head into the kitchen. "Erin and I are going to make a quick trip to the store for some ice cream. Got any requests?"

"Peanut butter chocolate chip," Kendall chimed.

"Butter Pecan," Ethan added.

Greenlee and Bianca both entered the kitchen. "What's going on?" Bianca asked.

"We're going on an ice cream run," Jamie said, putting his hat on. "I've got a request for peanut butter chocolate chip and butter pecan. Do either of you have any flavors you want?"

"Rocky Road," Bianca and Greenlee spoke simultaneously.

"That settles it, I think we're heading to Baskin Robbins," Erin tugged on Jamie's arm. "We'll be back in a bit."

"Take your time," Kendall watched them dash for the door. She quickly saw this interval of time as an opportunity to do some snooping on Erin. "I'll be right back," she reached up and kissed Ethan on the cheek.

Ethan knew that tone of her voice. He sensed that she was up to something. "Kendall," he called out while stirring the sauce.

"What? A girl can't go and use the bathroom?"

"Okay."

Kendall rushed up to the second floor. Approaching the stairwell that led to Jamie's room, she carefully tiptoed up the stairs and entered. "Damn Jamie for a guy you sure do keep your room clean," she muttered while searching for Erin's knapsack. "If I was a knapsack where would I be?"

After ten minutes of searching, Kendall finally found Erin's bag and quickly looked inside. She found Erin's wallet and opened it. "Bingo! Now why is it that I sense something about you?" She pulled out a college id. "What the hell?" her eyes grew wide. "Oh my god, Erin… Lavery?"

The sound of a ringing phone shook Kendall out of her shocked haze. She stuck the college id back into Erin's wallet and then shoved the wallet inside of the bag. Putting the bag back where she found it, Kendall made her way downstairs hoping that no once noticed how long she was gone. All the while trying to figure out how to confront Erin about who she really was. _'Jamie is dating Jonathan's sister,'_ Kendall thought. _'Why can't any of us get away from these Laverys?'_

Reaching the entranceway, Kendall met with Jamie and Erin who returned from their ice cream run. "Ice cream right here," Jamie raised two white bags with a grin. "Got all the flavors requested and more."

"That's great Jamie," Kendall replied blankly. _'Should I talk to him first or should I just confront her about who she is in front of everyone?'_

The three of them entered the kitchen and found Bianca standing with the phone to her ear. They became concerned, noticing the worried look on Bianca's face.

"Yes David. Yes, okay, I'll be right there," Bianca hung up the phone. "David had to rush Maggie to the hospital. He didn't say what was wrong."

"Is she okay?" Erin asked.

"I don't know. He's waiting to hear from the doctors. I'm going to head there now," Bianca grabbed her car keys.

"Wait, I'm going with you," Greenlee took the keys from Bianca's hand. "Come on, I'll drive."

The two of them rushed out of the house leaving Kendall, Ethan, Jamie and Erin in the kitchen. Jamie looked around at everyone, "Well, I'm going to put this ice cream in the freezer before it melts."

"I'll find a way to keep dinner warm," Ethan added.

"Umm… do you think we should go to the hospital too?" Erin suggested.

Kendall couldn't hold it in anymore. She wanted to find out why the girl that Jamie was dating felt the need to lie to everyone. "Not so fast. Why do you tell us who you really are?"

"Kendall? What are you doing?" Jamie shut the freezer door. He reached into the refrigerator and took out a can of Pepsi, opening it.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh you know what I'm talking about. Erin Lavery," Kendall shot back.

Jamie dropped his open can of soda, its contents spilling all over the floor. "Erin Lavery?"


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Silence filled the kitchen as Erin looked back at everyone. She moved toward Jamie and grabbed some paper towels. "Let me clean that up James."

"No, don't move," Kendall stopped her. "Explain yourself."

"What is there to explain?" Erin wondered. "So my last name is Lavery, what's wrong with that?"

"There's a lot wrong with that," Kendall replied.

Jamie stood back up after cleaning the soda that spilled on the floor. Dumping the paper towels into the trash can, he shifted his attention to Erin. He was having a hard time trying to fathom a response to this revelation.

Erin saw the hurt look on his face. "Jamie? What's wrong?"

"You… You're Jonathan's sister?" he replied.

Kendall turned her head. "Wait, you're telling me that you had no idea this girl was a Lavery? Good going Wonder Boy. What did you think her last name was anyway?"

"I didn't think to ask. I don't usually do background checks on the girls I date," Jamie snapped.

"Whoa, wait a second," Erin interrupted. "What's the problem? You know my last name, issue resolved, case closed."

"No way in hell is this case closed. Do you know anything about your so called brother or shall I say brothers?" Kendall asked her. "Your brother Jonathan is one messed up freak."

"Hey! Don't you dare call my brother that!"

"I have every right to, after what he did to Maggie."

"Kendall honey, calm down a little," Ethan turned around. He didn't want to get in the middle of this but felt it was his duty to keep World War III from happening.

"I am not going to calm down. I want to know why she hasn't said anything to us about being Jonathan's little sister."

Erin wasn't about to let this tirade bring her down. She stood firm, ready to defend herself. "Listen up. I don't know why everyone is upset that I'm a Lavery. If someone would kindly explain to me why my last name is such a problem, then maybe I can fix things."

"Then you'd better sit down," Ethan suggested, tasting a bit of the sauce from the tip of the wooden spoon in his hand.

Sitting down, she looked up at Kendall who was still fuming. Her eyes shifted to Jamie who was having a hard time looking at her. She had no idea what to feel at the moment, left to wonder what it was that had everyone so riled up.

"Okay, I'm sitting down. Is sometone going to start talking? Why is it a huge issue that I'm Jonathan's sister?"

"Because your brother is a jerk," Jamie leaned against the refrigerator, folding his arms across his chest.

"Wait a second, that's not the Jonathan I know," Erin replied.

"The Jonathan you know must be different than the one who lives in Pine Valley with your other brother Ryan," Kendall sat down across from her.

"Wait Ryan is in Pine Valley too? Why didn't Jon tell me?"

"Seems that Jon left out a lot of details huh?"

"Yeah," she rubbed her forehead. "Tell me, what did my brother or brothers do that has all of you hating me now?"

Kendall laughed sarcastically. "What? You think we're going to tell you things? Heck, this whole surprise reaction you're giving us right now could just be some act. No way in hell am I spilling anything to you. If you want answers, why don't you ask your dear brother."

Erin sank back in her chair. She looked up at Jamie who had his back to her. Getting up, she walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Jamie, please don't be mad at me."

He slipped away from her touch and turned around. "Erin, I think you should go," he urged with a calm voice.

"But…"

"Just go," he bowed his head and left the kitchen.

Disappointed, Erin agreed and ran upstairs to grab her bag. A minute later, she was escorted to the front door by Kendall, her heart feeling heavy and still left wondering what it was that her brother did that made them all act so coldly toward her.

"Look I'm sorry okay?" she attempted to apologize.

"Save it. And if I were you, I wouldn't want to step anywhere near this home again. You got that?" Kendall warned.

"Yeah, I hear you loud and clear," Erin turned and walked down the steps.

Kendall shut the door slowly and turned around to see Jamie coming into the entry way from upstairs. She saw the disappointed look on his face. "Don't be so hard on yourself. She lied to you," she tried to lift his spirits.

"Yeah, I know but still," he said, putting his hat on. "I brought her here. Right into our home, right to Maggie."

"You had no idea who she was."

"Well now I know."

"Now we all know," she agreed.

"I'm going to the hospital to see if Maggie is okay," Jamie moved toward the door.

"That's fine. Ethan and I are going to stay here. Someone needs to stay with Miranda after all," Kendall walked with him to the door. "Go get some fresh air. What's done is done."

"Yeah, what's done is done," he repeated with a sigh.

* * *

Jonathan sat down on his couch clutching a bottle of beer in his left hand. He flipped through the pages of Sports Illustrated, his way of relaxing after a long day's work at Fusion. His quiet evening was soon interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone.

Grabbing it from the table, he answered. "Jonathan Lavery."

"Jonathan, it's Erin."

"Hey little sis," he cheerfully spoke. "Reconsider on that visit? Tell me that I come sooner."

"I'm not calling you about that. I'm calling because I want to find out what you did. Why is it that some people here think you're some big jerk," Erin asked, entering her apartment and throwing her bag on the floor.

"What are you talking about?" Jonathan took a sip of beer. "Who's been saying bad stuff about me?"

"This woman, Kendall… I forget what her last name was," Erin fell back onto her couch. "It seems that she's got a problem with my last name being Lavery. Actually it seems that she's got a problem with our family in general."

"Oh?" he wondered how his sister encountered Kendall, as the conversation he had with Erin a month ago flooded back to him. Jonathan realized that the person at her apartment wasn't just her boyfriend, it was Jamie Martin. "Say, how'd you meet this Kendall?"

"Why? Do you know her?"

"Well, she's friends with Greenlee, Ryan's wife. Our sister-in-law, for your information."

"Yeah whatever," she huffed. "Why does everyone have a problem with you? Tell me you didn't do something horrible."

"Erin, come on. This is Jonathan you're talking to. Do you think I'm a horrible person?"

"I don't know," she said, walking over to her refrigerator and grabbing a can of soda from inside. "Please tell me one thing."

"Sure," he replied.

"Tell me that you didn't do it again? That you found a way to control it all."

Jonathan hesitated answering her question. He knew what she was asking and debated whether or not to tell her the truth. "I… I…"

"Jonathan."

"I didn't hurt anyone else. I swear. You know why I came to Pine Valley. I wanted a fresh start and also to get to know Ryan again."

"Okay. Well I gotta go. I've got some work to get done that's due tomorrow," she walked back to the couch.

"Take care sis."

"Take care of yourself too," she closed her cell phone and paced the floor. "You're lying to me bro. I know you did something and I know it's bad." Shoving the cell phone in her pocket, Erin grabbed her bag and ran out the door off to find the answers she needed.

* * *

"What's taking them so long David?" Bianca paced the waiting room floor.

"She's probably fine," David assured her. "This is all a false alarm."

"Yeah, it's a false alarm," Greenlee agreed. She looked at him, as if asking what he did that put Maggie in the hospital.

"False alarm, yeah… I'll feel better when I hear those words from a doctor," Bianca said, finally sitting down in one of the plastic chairs. "You mind telling me what happened that landed Maggie here?"

"Yes, do tell," Greenlee said with interest.

David did what he always did before explaining things. He ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "I made her upset. It was my fault."

"What did you say to her" Bianca asked.

"All I did was apologize," he answered. "I apologized for what I did and all of a sudden, she unloaded on me. I deserved it. After everything I put you all through, Maggie spitting all her anger at me was a long time coming."

"But David, you also know making her upset isn't good."

"I know, Bianca. And I didn't mean to but I guess it was something Maggie had built up inside for a long time."

"You're probably right," Bianca agreed. "Anytime I ever mentioned your name, she seemed to get a little uptight about it." Her attention was brought over to the doorway where Julia Santos was standing. "Tell me she's okay."

"Maggie is fine. It was just a false alarm," Julia watched for the looks of relief on their faces. "You can see her if you'd like. We're going to keep her here for observation for next day or two. You know, to make sure things are fine with the baby too."

"Routine procedure," David chimed. "Go on Bianca, why don't you see her."

"I will," she nodded. "Before you say it Julia, I already know. Keep the stress to a minimum, don't get her upset…"

"You're an old pro already," she smiled.

"Well it comes with experience," Bianca walked past her and left the waiting room.

Greenlee saw this as an opportunity to get some fresh air and make a few calls. She picked up her purse and made her way to the door. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to just check in with the husband."

Julia stepped aside to let Greenlee pass. Once she was out of sight, she shifted her attention to David. "So, you're the infamous Dr. Hayward."

David brushed his hand across his face. "Yes and you must be Julia Santos."

"Correct."

"I've heard a lot about you from your sister, Maria."

"And I've read a lot about you in the papers and magazines."

"Yeah, I seem to get around," he chuckled.

"I just want to say one thing," she leaned against the doorway. "Thank you."

David was taken aback. It wasn't very often that people expressed words of gratitude toward him. "You're thanking me? For what? All I did was bring Maggie in."

"I meant for saving my sister. I know others see you as this demented doctor who always wants to play God. And don't get me wrong, I share that perception too, but if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have my older sister still in my life."

"That means a lot, thanks…" David replied. "So, Maggie is fine?"

"Mother and baby are going to be okay," she nodded, her pager going off. "Looks like I need to take this one. Just make sure your cousin takes it easy."

"Will do," he watched her leave only for Greenlee to enter the room. "Hey, everything okay back in Pine Valley?"

"Yeah, everything is fine. What's going on with you? You look rather… like someone knocked the wind out of you."

"I'm fine," he put his arm around her shoulder. "Let's go see Maggie."

* * *

Bianca stood at Maggie's bedside and watched her sleep. She brushed away some stray hair from Maggie's face, causing her to stir. Opening her eyes slowly, Maggie looked up at Bianca and smiled sleepily.

"Hi."

"How are you feeling?" Bianca caressed Maggie's cheek. "You gave us a bit of a scare."

"Sorry," she replied. A worried look crossed her face, "What about…"

"Relax, he's fine," Bianca placed her hand on Maggie's belly. "Healthy as a cucumber."

"Yeah, I can tell. He's kicking up a storm now," Maggie winced. "Settle down in there,"

Bianca pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down. "So David tells me that you finally unloaded all your anger on him?"

Maggie nodded. "I did. But look where it got me. Before you say it," she raised her hand. "I know what you're going to say. I shouldn't have gotten upset. It isn't good for me or the little man."

"But. Come on, I know there's a 'but' coming," Bianca chuckled.

"But… I couldn't help it. David kept saying he was sorry and all I could think about was what he did to you and how he wasn't there when I needed him. You have to admit, I had every right to be angry."

Bianca reached for Maggie's hand. "You did have a right to be angry at him. I don't blame you for that but you need to keep your emotions in check. The stress isn't good for you."

"Hey, I'm okay," Maggie brought Bianca's hand to her face. "See, I'm still here. You feel that? Warm, soft and cuddly. So when am I going home?"

"Sorry, not tonight. Maybe tomorrow or the day after. Julia just wants to keep you for observation." Bianca replied, her hand lingering on Maggie's face.

"I figured as much," she tried to hide a yawn but wasn't successful. "And here I was looking forward to Ethan's cooking."

"Why don't you close your eyes and get some rest."

"I'm okay… I'm not that tired."

"Maggie Stone, I saw that yawn. Sleep, I promise I won't go anywhere."

"Where's Miranda," Maggie tried to peer at the hallway.

"Shh… she's home with Kendall and Ethan. Now you, get some sleep,"

"Okay," she nodded. "Bianca?" she called out softly while closing her eyes.

"Yes?"

"Think you can do me a favor?

"Anything."

"That lullaby you sing to Miranda when she can't sleep. Can you sing it to me?"

Bianca smiled at the request. Without any thought, she sung the words softly. "Close your eyes, sleep is more than it seems. Soon you'll discover a garden of dreams. A blossoming tapestry lights up the dark. Dreams are the flowers that bloom in your heart," she watched Maggie drift off into sleep, continuing the song. "Rose dreams are red, like the new valentine, violets are blue 'cause they're sad all the time, daisy dreams shine like the sun in the park. Dreams are the flowers that bloom in your heart. So dream and bloom, bloom and dream, and watch your garden grow. When you awaken with a smile, everyone will know. You've been to dreamland and now you've returned, eager to share everything that you've learned. Believing in dreams isn't really so hard. Dreams are the flowers that bloom in your heart."

"Dreams are the flowers that bloom… in your heart."

Maggie was sound asleep by the time Bianca reached the last few lines of the lullaby. Pushing some hair away, she leaned in and kissed Maggie on her forehead. "Sleep well. I love you." she whispered before turning around. Getting out of her chair as quietly as possible, Bianca slipped out into the hallway finding Greenlee and David standing there with Jamie.

"She just fell asleep. Jamie what's wrong? You look upset," Bianca asked, taking note of the bothered look on his face.

* * *

Erin stood at the door and knocked again. Determined to find out answers regarding Jonathan, she wasn't going to leave until she got them. Once again, Erin brought her hand to the door, ready to knock when it suddenly opened.

"I thought I told you to stay away," Kendall glared.

"I'm here to get answers. I just spoke to Jonathan and he swears that he didn't do anything wrong." She saw the door closing and put up her hand to stop it. "But I know he's lying to me. Kendall, I'm here to find out about my brother. Tell me what he did that has all of you hating him so much."

Kendall stood at the door contemplating whether or not to let Erin in. Sensing that she iwas in search of answers and the truth, she stepped aside. "Come in and we'll talk. Although, I am warning you now, what I'm about to tell you is going to change the way you look at your older brother."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

"Four letter word for horse," Maggie stared at the crossword puzzle with a pen in her hand. She looked toward Jamie, "James, are you listening?"

"I'm sorry, what?" His attention was brought back to the present. Shaking his head, he answered, "Sorry Mags, what were you saying?"

"Four letter word for horse," she repeated. "Never mind, I got it now." She wrote the letters P-O-N-Y before looking up at Jamie again.

"I'm hungry. Do you want anything to eat? Is there anything you need?" Jamie stood up from the floor and ran his fingers through his hair while looking down at Maggie on the couch. "How about I get you some fruit or something?"

Maggie tilted her head and smiled shyly. She could tell that something was obviously bothering him and couldn't figure out what it was. "Jamie? What's going on with you? Ever since I came home from the hospital, you've been… I don't know. You've been acting a little, should I say pissed off?"

"I'm going to get you that fruit," Jamie attempted to escape Maggie's questioning but didn't succeed.

"Jamie, stop it with getting me fruit," Maggie laughed. "You're a really bad liar and worse yet, you don't do a good job at hiding your feelings. Just tell me what's going on." Leaning back on the couch, she crossed her arms and waited. "Sit down. Let's talk. You and I haven't done that in a while. Remember when we used to commiserate over root beer floats?"

Heeding Maggie's request, Jamie sat back down on the floor and leaned against the front of the couch. He rested his head his on his hand and smiled, "Yeah, I still remember those nights."

"Okay then, what's on your mind? What's been bothering you? Talk to me, I'm still your friend, remember?"

Jamie sighed, "I can't."

"And why not?" Maggie raised an eyebrow.

"Because I can't" he repeated.

"You can't or you just don't want to."

"Both," Jamie replied simplistically. "I did something stupid."

"Stupid? What did you do?"

"I… I feel like such an idiot," Jamie looked away from Maggie. It was obvious that he still felt pangs of guilt for bring Erin into everyone's lives. "I let myself get treated like such a fool Mags."

Maggie tilted her head slightly, "You're losing me here."

"I've been dating Jonathan's little sister," he finally blurted out his words. Hoping that this piece of information didn't catch Maggie off guard, Jamie moved closer to her.

Blinking twice, Maggie swallowed, "I'm sorry? Come again?" She shook her head. "Erin?"

"Erin Lavery," he completed Maggie's thought. Before she could say anything else in reply, he began apologizing. "I am so so so so sorry. I had no idea she was a Lavery. How could I be so stupid?" he said, smacking his forehead.

Maggie sat quiet for a moment, digesting the news and fallout of Jamie's love life. Surprisingly enough, she couldn't exactly find the words or fathom any sort of feeling to the fact that Erin was Jonathan's younger sister. Perhaps she had a feeling all along that there was something Lavery-esque about Erin but couldn't place her finger on it. Whatever it was, Erin seemed different to Maggie compared to the older Lavery siblings.

Noticing how Maggie hadn't given any reply to the news, Jamie became worried. "Say something… Are you mad? Are you okay?" He reached out and touched her hand. "I'm sorry for bringing her into all our lives. I promise that I'll never do something this stupid ever again. Next time, I'll make sure I know my date's last names before I even go on the first date."

"Jamie, you're rambling," Maggie couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry."

"So you've been dating Erin Lavery."

"Yes and I'm still mad at myself for doing that."

"Why?" Maggie questioned. "Why do you feel guilty for doing that? I mean, come on, how would you have known that you were dating Jonathan and Ryan's kid sister?"

"Wow, you're unbelievably calm," Jamie pressed his palm on Maggie's forehead. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, as fine as I could ever feel, except for the moments when I feel like I'm carrying a watermelon inside me but other than that, I feel fine," she replied. "So James, why the guilt?"

"Because I brought her into all our lives and into our home, right to you. She's Jonathan's sister for god's sake. Who knows if she's as maniacal as her older brother. Maggie, you could be in danger again. And it would be all my fault. If you ever got hurt again, if something happens to you, I'd never forgive myself."

Maggie nodded her head. "So when did you find out about all of this?"

"The day that David came by and you were rushed to the hospital. Kendall snooped around and saw Erin's college identification," he explained. "After Greenlee and Bianca left to go see you, Erin suggested that we go too but Kendall stopped her. She went off on her and asked why she didn't even bother to tell any of us who she was."

"And then what happened?"

"It sounded like she had no idea of what Jonathan did. I don't think she even knew about his relationship with you. Kendall pretty much reamed into her and I was just so pissed at everything that was happening at the moment. I told her to leave and I haven't spoken to her since," Jamie sighed deeply. "I'm sorry."

"Will you stop apologizing?" Maggie lightly smacked Jamie in the back of the head with her newspaper.

"Ouch!" he looked up at her, rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to get you to stop saying I'm sorry," she grinned.

"Mags I don't get it. You should be upset or something right now. I mean, I've been dating your ex's younger sister and you're not the least bit mad or even scared right now?"

"No," she shook her head. "I'm not. In fact, I think you should talk to her. Or better yet, let me talk to her."

"Maggie…" Jamie said with a raised brow. "Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

"Why not?"

"Because you could be putting yourself in danger?" he said this with reason.

"Look, I know you're worried about me, but I'm a big girl. I'm healing and I can't stay scared like this forever. It's not good to keep living my life in fear, not for myself or for this baby on the way," Maggie put her hand on her belly. "There's just something different about Erin. She's not like her brothers, I can tell."

"What do you mean?" Jamie turned his head, hearing a knock on the door. Getting up, he made his way over to it.

"Call it instinct, but it's just this feeling I get from her," Maggie replied, watching Jamie stand at the door.

Erin stood outside, waiting patiently for someone to answer. In some sense, she was also hoping someone would answer and not slam the door in her face. As she stood there, she remembered some key points of her conversation with Kendall from a week ago.

"_Your brother hits women. Your brother… Jonathan, he hit Maggie."_

"_No, he didn't," Erin covered her mouth with her hands. "He promised to never do it again."_

"_Again? You mean he's done this before?" Kendall asked._

"_It's the reason why he dropped out of Princeton. He was arrested and given a slap on the wrist because it was a first offense. He was sent to anger management classes but I guess that didn't pan out so well."_

"_Guess not. Your brother is toxic, I want you to know that. You know that baby Maggie is carrying? That's his child. That child is your future nephew."_

"_Kendall… what did my brother do? Be honest with me, what has my brother turned into?"_

"_Erin, your brother is not the same guy you knew growing up. He's got problems, issues, whatever you want to call them. He's outright dangerous if you want my opinion."_

Still waiting at the door, she tried to shake those thoughts from her mind but didn't succeed. Raising her hand to knock again, she hesitated only to have the door open, Jamie standing face to face with her.

"Jamie, hi," Erin mumbled. "I uh…"

"Mags, you got your wish," Jamie stepped aside to let Erin in. "Come inside," he said flatly without any emotion.

Surprised at the mere fact that he let her in, Erin stepped into the house. She stood by the door, unsure of whether or not to venture in further. Her eyes panned from Maggie to Jamie to Maggie and back to Jamie again. Not knowing what to say, she replied. "Thank you," simple as that.

Kendall and Ethan came through the kitchen door with Miranda in tow. Noticing Erin's presence in the room, Kendall picked Miranda up and looked at Ethan, "Why don't we take this little munchkin to the park? Do you want to go to the park Miranda?"

Miranda nodded her head, smiling from ear to ear. "Park!" she pointed to the door.

"Fine, the park it is," Ethan grabbed the stroller and his hat. "Shall we?"

"Jamie, come along with us," Kendall suggested to the taller fellow.

"No, I don't think…" he was cut off by Maggie.

"Yeah Jamie, go on. Go with them. I'll be fine," she urged him, giving him a look that she'd be fine.

"No really…" Jamie did his best to decline the offer.

"Kendall, take him with you. I'll be fine," Maggie reassured. "I just want to talk to Erin alone. That's if you don't mind, do you?" she looked over at her.

"No, I don't mind at all," Erin said, unsure of whether or not she made the right choice of even coming over.

Feeling he was losing a battle he wasn't going to win, Jamie grabbed his hat, "Fine. But you call me if anything happens okay?" He said this, looking right at Maggie.

"Yes, I will call you. Now go, have fun!" Maggie watched the door close behind them before bringing her gaze to Erin. "Have a seat, stay a while"

Erin sat down reluctantly. Pulling out a photo from her bag, she handed it to Maggie. She then placed her bag on the floor and sat quietly, hoping that whatever it was Maggie had to talk to her about, that she wasn't about to get chewed out.

"Is this from when you were all kids?" Maggie eyed the photo carefully. She noticed Jonathan right away, the little boy who had his arm around his sister. "Why are you showing this to me?"

"Because that's the brother I knew growing up. The boy who protected me from everything our father did to us," Erin took the photo from Maggie as it was being handed back to her. "The Jonathan I once knew doesn't exist anymore, from what Kendall told me. Maggie, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that he did all that to you and I swear, if I could… I'd take all that hurt he inflicted on you away." Tears began to gather in the corners of Erin's eyes.

Maggie moved from her spot on the couch and closer to Erin. Seeing the emotion brimming on the girl's face, she placed her hand on top of Erin's. "Hey, listen… I'm not mad at you or anything. How or why could I ever be mad at you?"

"My brother hurt you. He hurt you bad," she swiped away the moisture in her eyes.

"Yeah he did," Maggie replied softly. "He did but I'm not going to let myself dwell on that fact. But listen, what he did isn't your fault. None of it is and the only person who's at fault here is your brother. He's created this path for himself and the only way he'll learn from his mistakes is if he gets help. Right now, I have no idea nor do I care if he even has gotten any but you need to realize that Jonathan becoming who he is today has nothing to do with you."

"You've got a huge heart, do you know that?" Erin smiled slightly. "The fact that you even want to talk to me makes you an amazing person. Really, you're amazing."

"Thanks," Maggie blushed. "But I'm not, I'm just trying to get on with my life. There's no use in wallowing in the past. It's not worth it, you know what I mean? I have to move on with my life and look forward. It's the only way I'll ever let myself heal."

Erin sat silent for a second, pondering whether or not to ask her next question. Feeling like it would be an intrusion on privacy, she hesitated at first. But Maggie being Maggie, she sensed some urgency on Erin's face and smiled.

"You look like you want to ask me something," Maggie took note of the look on Erin's face.

"I do but I'm not sure if I should. I feel like it'd be some kind of intrusion or not even my business to ask."

"Well ask away. It won't hurt."

"You don't have to answer if it doesn't feel comfortable," Erin said unsure. "But my question is, after everything my brother has done, after everything he's put you through, why did you choose to keep the baby? I mean, he's as much a part of Jonathan as he is a part of you."

Maggie leaned back on the couch. She saw the curiosity in Erin's eyes, reminding her of a time when Jonathan had that same look. It was probably the one quality Erin and Jonathan shared. Exhaling a breath that she didn't realize she was holding, Maggie answered the query as best as she could.

"A child, no matter who the parents are, deserves a chance at life. And just because your brother has become what he is today, it doesn't warrant any reason for me not to keep this child. I grew up in broken home too. I related to your brother on some level when it came to parents not being those role models we needed," Maggie continued to explain her reasoning behind her choice. "And this baby, he deserves a chance to live. I don't want to deny him that just because of what your brother did to me."

"But won't the baby remind you of him?" Erin asked.

"That's something I can't let myself dwell on. No matter who his father is, this baby is mine too and someday if he asks about Jonathan, asks about who his father is, then I'll tell him the truth. I'll tell him at a point in his life when I feel he'll understand everything."

"Wow Maggie, that's…" Erin found herself at a loss for words. Needless to say, she still saw Maggie as this amazing woman.

"It's called moving on with life," Maggie attempted to complete Erin's thought. "And if you want, it would be great if you'd be a part of my baby's life too. After all, you are his Aunt Erin."

"I don't know what to say," she looked down for a moment before looking back up again and smiling. "Thank you."

"This little boy of mine needs as much family as he can get. You're different from your brothers, I can tell. You've got a soft spot in you and I can see that you're all heart. And if my boy is to have at least one blood tie to his father, having you as that means more than anything."

* * *

Ryan took a gulp of his beer while sitting on Jonathan's couch. His gaze managed to somehow to land on the coffee table, taking note of the pile of letters sitting on it. Leaning forward, Ryan picked up one of the opened envelopes and peered at one of the letters, his eyes widening when he learned who it was from.

"Erin?" Ryan said softly to himself.

"Hey Ryan, I'm out of…" Jonathan didn't finish his statement, and saw Ryan holding one of Erin's letters in his hands. "What are you doing?"

"Jonathan, you never told me Erin kept contact with you," Ryan looked up at his younger brother, still holding the piece of mail in his hand. "Were you ever planning to tell me this?"

Taking a seat on the chair adjacent to the couch, Jonathan popped the cap off of another bottle of beer and took a sip. "Yeah, someday I was," he wiped his mouth. "What's it to you anyway? You left us remember?"

"Hockett, how many times are you going to pull that guilt routine on me? I said I was sorry and I'm here for you now."

"Sorry," Jonathan apologized. "So yeah, Erin has been writing to me. She's great actually, a film student in New York City and she's happy from the way her letters sound. I was thinking of visiting her at the end of the summer."

"That sounds like a great idea," Ryan put the letter back on top of the stack of other letters. "I'll go with you. I haven't seen her in years and it would be nice to have a Lavery siblings reunion."

"Sure, sounds like a plan," Jonathan replied, smugly thinking to himself that it would be a great idea to bring Ryan along.

* * *

"Hey Maggie, I have another question," Erin took a bite into the apple in her hand.

"Sure, what?" Maggie continued to eat the fruit on her plate. The two of them were talking for the past hour and little by little, both of them became comfortable with opening up to one another. This proved to be beneficial for Erin and most of all for Maggie.

"My other brother Ryan, what's he like?"

"Ryan, he's a good guy."

"That's all? Ryan is a good guy? I'd figure you'd say more," Erin chuckled. "I barely knew the kind of brother he was, so I was hoping you'd tell me more about him."

Maggie thought for a moment, wondering how she could describe the older Lavery to the younger one that was sitting in front of her. Truth be told, Ryan Lavery was definitely nothing like Jonathan but to describe someone who felt the need to save a sibling who needed help more than just family was quite the challenge. But for Erin, Maggie did her best to explain Ryan.

"I can tell you that he's a lot different than Jonathan. He's kind and gentle and he's very protective about the people he loves. People like his wife and Jonathan," Maggie took note of Erin's attentive gaze. Seeing as how she was hanging on her every word, she continued. "And sometimes, I think Ryan is blinded a lot by that love he neglects to see the harsh truths in front of him."

"Are you saying that he has no idea what Jonathan did to you?"

"He doesn't. Last I checked he has no idea I even left town, unless Jonathan has it all figured out by now, then he does know."

"You left town to escape my brother. Maggie, I'm sorry he brought you to that point. The fact that you had to totally uproot your own life, your friends too, it just makes me so mad. I hate him for doing all this crap to you," Erin said apologetically.

"Hey now, I like to think of this all as a new beginning," Maggie said, her attempt to look at the bright side of everything. "As much as I miss Pine Valley, as long as I've got Bianca, Miranda, Kendall, Ethan and Jamie around. It's all good to me. Speaking of Jamie, he still seems pretty mad at you."

"Yeah and I don't blame him," Erin turned her gaze away from Maggie, her eyes landing on a photo of Jamie with Miranda. "He has every right to be mad I guess."

"Give Jamie some time. He really has fallen for you. Jamie is only acting like that right now because sometimes he's just gives himself a hard time," Maggie explained Jamie's reasons for his attitude. "He feels guilty for bringing you into my life, thinking it might be putting me in danger."

"Jamie's protective like that huh?"

"Yeah he is. But when he falls for someone, he falls."

"And you think he's fallen head over heels for me?"

"No doubt about it," Maggie laughed. "The last time I ever saw him smile genuinely was when he was with Babe for that blissful period of time. He's made a lot of mistakes in the past couple of years and sometimes he places a lot of the blame on himself when it really doesn't need to be done. Call it one of his fatal flaws. But in the end, Jamie Martin is one heck of a guy."

Erin smiled at the description that Maggie just gave her about Jamie. "So you think he'll lighten up and talk to me again?"

"He will… give him some time. Trust me, after a few more days, Jamie will be talking to you again. And if he's not, I'll just make sure he sees how silly he's acting."

"Thanks Maggie."

"No problem."

"One more thing," Erin stood up and grabbed her bag. "You can count on me to keep your whereabouts a secret. The last thing you need is my crazy brother finding out where you are. So no worries, the fact that you're here in New York is safe here inside my head."

"Then I guess I should be saying thanks to you also," Maggie walked Erin to the door. "It's going to be alright. And if you ever need to talk, know that I'm around to listen okay?"

"Cool with me," Erin nodded and left. As she neared the bottom of the steps, Jamie was approaching her way. Deciding to give him a little more time to let things cool off, Erin kept walking until she heard her name being called out.

"Erin, wait!" Jamie ran toward her.

Stopping her stride, she turned around and saw Jamie stop two feet in front of her. "Look Jamie, I completely understand if you're still mad at me. And I'm really sorry for not telling you who I was and…"

Jamie didn't even give Erin the chance to finish what she was saying when he just pulled her into his arms and planted a long kiss on her lips. He held that kiss for a few seconds before parting his lips with hers in an effort to catch his breath.

"Wow," Erin blinked her eyes a couple of times, making the effort to catch her breath also. "Where on Earth did that come from?"

"Let's go somewhere and talk. Sound good to you?" Jamie saw Erin nod her head. He took hold of her hand and began walking with her.

Somewhere down the street, Maggie, Kendall and Ethan who was holding Miranda in his arms, stood atop the stairs at their doorstep smiling. The three of them couldn't help but laugh too seeing how smitten Jamie was for Erin. Walking into the house, Maggie closed the door and cast a funny gaze at Kendall while Ethan took Miranda upstairs for her nap.

"What?" Kendall was still laughing.

"You talked some sense into him didn't you?" Maggie went back over to the couch and sat down.

"Maybe I did."

"Thanks."

"It's what I'm here for."

"You like to knock some sense to everyone don't you?"

"What can I say, I made Erin see the light about Jonathan and Jamie realize how much of a fool he was being for not letting her explain things. Granted, I still think that Erin Lavery can't be trusted but by the way she reacted to everything I told her, she's definitely got more heart than either of her brothers," Kendall picked up one of Miranda's toys off the floor and placed it on the table.

"You're good," Maggie smiled.

"You can say that but I happen to think that I'm just sneaky at what I do," Kendall looked up at the clock. "It's what makes me different from Bianca."

As Kendall said those words, Bianca came through the front door. "What makes me different from you?"

"Nothing," Kendall stood up from her seat and walked toward the kitchen. "I'll call the two of you when dinner is ready."

"Okay," Bianca replied with a weird look on her face. Dismissing whatever her sister was referring to for the time being, she sat down on the sofa. Maggie rested both of her feet on Bianca's lap.

"So another meeting with the Cambias Board today. What's going on now?" Maggie smiled pleasantly, noticing how Bianca took the liberty of rubbing her feet. "A little to the left. Yeah, perfect," she sighed with relief.

"I spoil you too much," Bianca laughed. "The meeting went… Let's put it this way, the board wants me to take a trip back to Pine Valley and check on things at corporate headquarters there."

"Bianca, you do know how risky that is."

"I know, I know. I'll think of something okay?" she reassured Maggie. "I don't have to go yet but if things don't improve soon, I won't have a choice."

"And if Jonathan sees you there, you know what might happen."

"Look, I'll call Greenlee and Ryan and see what they can do for me on their end. And if things can't work out the way they need to, then I'll see what other alternatives there are. For now, don't worry about it and you shouldn't worry either. Why don't we just have a nice quiet evening to ourselves and spend some time with Miranda."

"Just promise me you'll do everything to have Greenlee and Ryan take care of this? Heck, let Kendall take care of it. I just don't want you putting yourself in danger by going back there," Maggie's face was filled with concern.

"I promise," Bianca took hold of Maggie's hands. "Now stop worrying okay? I'm here with you now."

"Okay," Maggie reached over and hugged Bianca. Yet, as she hugged her tighter for reassurance, she couldn't help but feel that danger was still looming their way.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Bianca shoved the pen behind her ear and sighed. Her eyes squinted at all the numbers on the report sitting in front of her. Reaching for the coffee mug, she took another sip from what was her second cup of the evening. This of course, an evening she spent laboring over the financial reports of Cambias Industries, focusing especially on the Enchantment/Fusion entity.

She picked up the cordless phone and dialed, patiently waiting for the call to pick up on the other end. Finally, a similarly frustrated voice answered causing Bianca to chuckle slightly.

"Greenlee, I see you're burning the midnight oil also?"

"I should say the same for you," Greenlee chuckled right back. "What's up? Maggie is okay right?"

"She's fine. I was actually calling about… well, about business," Bianca reluctantly said the words. She hated conducting corporate matters over the phone but saw no other choice. "I really hate having to do this on the phone."

"It's okay. I'm here, so what's going on?" Greenlee reached for her clipboard and pen. She had a feeling that taking notes would be a necessity for this conversation.

Bianca walked over to the sink and dumped out the rest of her coffee. "The last meeting I had with the board didn't go over so well. They still have their concerns with Enchantment and Fusion."

"I'm following. Keep going."

"They want me to go to Pine Valley and see what's going on."

"Bianca you can't."

"I know I can't," Bianca's voice rose slightly. She brought her hand to her forehead. "Sorry, it's just been a long and frustrating week for me."

Greenlee sensed the agitation in Bianca's voice. Clearly, it wasn't just Cambias business that was bothering her, it was something more. "Hey Bianca, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. Just stressed out I guess," Bianca replied. "The board is sending someone to do another audit in a few weeks. I figured that I'd give you a heads up."

"Thank you. I'll make sure things go fine, you can count on that," Greenlee paused, trying to figure out how to segue her concern about life itself into the conversation. She almost opened up the topic but decided that Kendall could handle things better because she'd be able to provide physical consolation in addition to the vocal. "Why don't you go and get some sleep. Tomorrow is another day."

Bianca smiled, "I think I will. Sorry about before. I didn't mean to snap at you like that."

"No worries. Good night," Greenlee smiled.

"Good night."

Bianca quietly walked down the second floor hallway careful not to wake any of its sleeping residents. She soon saw no need to upon realizing that Kendall and Ethan were still out on a date while Jamie was busying himself with a small project of his own. Walking toward the room that had light shining out into the hallway, she stood at the doorway and laughed.

"You look like you're making some progress," Bianca took a look around at the room, which was the soon to be nursery for Maggie's son. "I guess you taking the top floor and leaving this extra room open here was done for a reason."

"I didn't really have a choice in the matter," a shirtless Jamie looked up, adjusting the bandana on his head. "Kendall made the choice for me, remember?"

"Oh yeah, she did," Bianca laughed again. Her eyes took in more of the room, gazing at what was done so far. "Wow Jamie, I have to say that you're done a great job. You've got the crib assembled as well as the changing table and dressers. Who knew you could be so handy."

Jamie stood up from the floor fixing his cargo shorts and tool belt and then reached for his shirt. Slipping it over his head, "Only the best for Little James But you really shouldn't thank me. Thank IKEA for their affordable yet very hard-to-read the directions furniture."

Bianca went to turn over the directions so that the English side faced him. "It's because you were reading the Swedish version," she smirked. "And Little James? Think again Martin."

"It was worth a shot."

"But you're doing a fine job with putting this room together. I don't know what we'd do without you."

Jamie smiled, "At this rate, everything should be done by the end of the month. There are still a few more touches that I want to add. Do you have anything special you want to put in here?"

Bianca's eyes sparkled as an idea popped into her head. "Actually, yes I do." She leaned toward Jamie and whispered into his ear. Her suggestion caused his smile to grow wider.

"Consider it done," he winked. "It might require a trip to Home Depot but I'll see what I can do."

Bianca left Jamie to finish up work on the nursery and walked to her bedroom, one that she shared with Maggie. Entering the room, she saw the television still on, the blue hue of the screen illuminating a part of the room. She turned her gaze over toward the bed and couldn't help but smile at the sight before her. Maggie had fallen asleep with Miranda at her side. One of Miranda's books lay open on the bed while the sleeping child had her tiny arm draped over Maggie, cuddling close to her.

Truly, her daughter adored Maggie and the feeling was indeed mutual. It warmed her heart as she thought about what life had in store for their little family when Maggie's son would be born. Family. Yes, to Bianca, Maggie was a part of her family. The one she always dreamed of having.

She thought about picking up Miranda and bringing her over to her crib but didn't have the heart to disturb the sight before her so she simply pulled the covers up to their chests and kissed both of them on the forehead. "Good night my sweethearts," she whispered as she reached over and turned off the lamp followed by the television.

A half hour later, Bianca sat on the front steps, all showered and changed. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail and sat wearing a pair of Adidas track pants and a black tank top. Bianca closed her eyes for a few seconds as she inhaled the summer air. Hoping that the shower she took would relax her, it didn't succeed as much as she hoped it would. If anything, it relaxed her muscles but didn't ease any of the thoughts that were on her mind.

She reflected on the events of the past two years. Her rape and pregnancy and how Maggie stood by her side through the whole ordeal. She thought back to when Miranda was born and the pain of when she believed her baby girl was gone only to have Miranda become her Christmas miracle.

Miranda was definitely her little miracle as she tried not to contemplate what her life would be like had the baby girl not been returned to her. Shuddering at the almost possibility, Bianca shifted her thoughts to Maggie, the sight of her and Miranda sleeping, still fresh in her mind. The more she saw that image in her head, the more she realized that Maggie had become a permanent fixture in her life. In truth, she couldn't imagine her life now without Maggie at her side.

Yet, there was a time when Bianca was faced with the distinct possibility of losing Maggie, to Jonathan. Casting a blank stare, she was lulled back into her memories.

"_How with Jonathan are you?" Bianca looked at Maggie with question._

"_I don't know. Why? Bianca, if you have something to say, say it now."_

"_Things have gotten pretty close with you and Jonathan pretty fast, and - I don't know, it's like we barely know him."_

"_You don't know him. I do. What's really going on, Bianca? Is there something that you want to tell me? I mean, why don't you want me to be with him?"_

"_I just can't help but keep wondering why things have gotten so intense with you guys. I mean, it seems like you're rushing into something with somebody that you barely know. Why? I know that sometimes it's - it's hard being alone."_

"_I'm not alone. I have Jamie. I have other friends. I thought you were one of them."_

"_I am, Maggie. I just think that there's something about Jonathan."_

"_Yeah, he's hot. And he's a Lavery," Maggie said with conviction. It was almost like she was trying to convince herself of this notion._

"_He's on a mission. He wants to nail somebody for Ryan's shooting." _

"_His brother was just shot. He almost died. He has every right to want to blame someone." _

"_Even if they're innocent? That is something that Ryan would never do." _

"_Well, I don't blame him because I've been there before. I know what it feels like, with my sister."_

"_Maggie, this is different. It's like he wanted to nail Kendall as soon as he found out. He was absolutely sure that she had done it."_

"_She pointed a gun at him! She pulled the trigger! Call me crazy, but I don't think that's unreasonable." _

"_Well, it turns out he was wrong. I just don't want you to get hurt." _

"_Well, the most dangerous thing he's ever done is fix me a drink at BJ's after hours. Thank you, but I'm fine. You have nothing to worry about. Actually, things couldn't be better." Maggie turned around and walked away._

"Bianca?" Kendall waved her hand in front of her sister's face. "Hey Binks."

The sound of Kendall's voice drew Bianca back to the here and now. She looked up. "Oh Kendall, I'm sorry. I guess my head was somewhere else."

Ethan leaned down and kissed Kendall on the forehead. "I'm going to head on inside. Why don't the two of you talk? She looks like she needs you more than I do."

"Okay," Kendall watched Ethan walk up into the house. She turned her attention to Bianca and sat down next to her on the steps. "Nice night isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," the young brunette agreed.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"Whatever it is that has you staring off into space."

"I wasn't…" Bianca paused. "My head was just somewhere else."

Kendall moved close to Bianca and gave her a slight nudge. "You can talk to me, you know. I'm still your sister, remember?"

"I know you are, but right now I don't know if what I'm thinking is ready to be something said out loud."

"Why?"

"Because if I said it out loud, it's real," Bianca turned and met Kendall's gaze.

* * *

"I didn't know you moonlighted as a handyman," Ethan chuckled from the doorway as he watched Jamie situate all the baby furniture.

"It's nothing really," Jamie replied. "Now the new desk I got for myself. That's a different story. It took me a week to put that together."

"So this whole handyman thing doesn't come naturally does it?"

"Not really," Jamie took a step back, marveling everything he put effort into. "I'm sure you'll be doing this stuff someday, maybe soon depending on what your plans are with Kendall."

"My plans with Kendall?" Ethan raised an eyebrow.

Jamie removed his tool belt, "You know, the whole family deal. Kids, white picket fence, big front yard. Little Ethan Jr. running around. You two have talked about that, right?"

"Can't say that Kendall and I talked about that kind of stuff, we've mainly been catching up on lost time." Ethan grinned at the thought of settling down with Kendall.

"Well, the two of you belong together. I'm happy that my Dad and Aidan went to great lengths to get you out of jail. Kendall was lonely without you."

"I'd say the feeling was mutual." Ethan nodded. "But the important part is that she and I are together again."

"And that's what I call love," Jamie laughed. "Kendall and you go together much like how Bianca and Maggie belong together."

"Ah, Bianca and Maggie," Ethan raised an eyebrow once again. "What is going on with the two of them anyway?"

"They've been through a lot, both together and separately," Jamie explained. "Right now, their hearts just need to end up on the same page. But they're getting there though. The last few months are proof of that."

* * *

"Say what out loud?" Kendall asked Bianca. "What becomes real if you say it out loud?"

"Feelings, need, want, hope," the younger Kane rattled out. "What am I saying? I don't even know what I'm saying anymore." She buried her face in her hands. "Why does this always happen at the wrong times?"

Kendall seemed a little lost at first with her sister's rambling but soon realized what she was talking about. Gently placing her arm around Bianca, she pulled her close. "You're thinking about Maggie, aren't you?"

A few moments of silence passed before Bianca spoke again. She heaved a deep sigh, bringing her hand to her forehead. "I took a stroll down memory lane earlier," she turned her gaze to Kendall.

"Which part of memory lane did you stroll down on?"

"Last year."

"Oh."

Bianca noticed the look of guilt on Kendall's face. "I wasn't necessarily thinking about that. I'll never be able to forgive and forget how my daughter was kept from me, but my mind wasn't focused on those memories."

"Then what?"

"I was… yeah I was thinking about Maggie. My mind floated back to this one day we had a disagreement at the Police Station, shortly after Ryan was shot," she bowed her head. "I came this close," pinching her fingers. "To losing Maggie… to Jonathan."

"But you didn't," Kendall assured Bianca. "Maggie's back in your life and she's upstairs sleeping in the room that the two of you share. Both of you managed to find your way back to each other. That's what matters the most, right?"

"Yeah," Bianca nodded, a small smile appearing on her face but only managed to go halfway.

"See, I'm right then. Maggie and you, on the road to happiness." Kendall smiled. "Much like how Ethan and I are."

"But that's the thing Kendall. It's like we are on the road, but then there's this fork. We hold hands, yes." She tossed a look at her sister and then back at the night sky, "We're getting closer and I'm happy about that."

Kendall tilted her head slightly, wondering what exactly her sister was trying to say. "But what Binks?"

"We keep growing closer, traveling down that road until the fork. One side of it says couple and the other says really good friends." Bianca caught her sister's eyebrow rising. "I know you'd think sharing a bed is a step towards something, towards the beginnings of a deepening relationship, but really it's just that…we're at this unexplained standstill. More like stalled in the road." Kendall moved her hand to comfort her sister, show some support, but Bianca shrugged it off.

"Binks…" she tried to reach out to her again.

"I just-" the words seemed so painful, "I'm just sick of waiting."

"The two of you will get there. It just takes time."

"Seems like time hasn't been working in our favor lately," Bianca's gaze fell. She was no longer looking up at the night sky. "Every time it seems like we're finally on the same wavelength, we're not."

Kendall listened attentively. "How so?"

"I ask Maggie to define what we are; she says she's into guys. She realizes that she's fallen in love with me and I'm committed to Lena. I begin to realize that my feelings for Maggie never disappeared; she's trapped in a relationship with Jonathan. Now that we're both free…"

"You're hoping that the two of you have had enough time to heal and want take things to a new level. You want a relationship with her," Kendall spoke before her sister could. "You love her, don't you?"

"It's so much more than that. I don't just love her, I'm in love with her."

Kendall smiled. She took great pleasure in seeing the lovesick puppy dog look on her sister's face. "You're cute when you're hopelessly in love." Bianca shot her a look. "Sorry… sorry. Okay, you're in love with Maggie, what's the dilemma? It's not like she doesn't love you back."

"That's the thing. I know the feeling is mutual but lately, it's… it just that," Bianca stopped to find the exact words describing her present thoughts. "Lately, it's this whole stalled mode that bothers me. Sometimes, I feel like Maggie reaches this point of closeness with me but takes a tiny step back. I know that I'm someone she trusts and confides in. And of course, I'm more than happy to be that for her. Heck, I'd go to the ends of the earth for Maggie to give her anything she needs, but sometimes…"

"Sometimes what?" Kendall remained attentive.

"Sometimes I feel like she's holding back on purpose. Like she's still afraid of something." Bianca spoke her words softly yet painfully. "Afraid of what, I have no idea."

* * *

David sat on the floor of his cabin sanding the piece of wood in his hand. He measured the wood, making sure it was the correct length before placing it down next to the other pieces that were cut and sanded down earlier. Checking on the diagrams again, he reached for the first two pieces needed for what he was building, the same little project he built for someone else not too long ago.

The minutes flew by as David delicately put each piece of wood together. He double-checked and made sure that there wasn't one nail or screw protruding from the wood. His eyes scanned the panels along the top and sides, looking for spots that went un-sanded. He checked that there were no chances of getting splinters as he let his fingers run across the finished product.

Marveling at what he just built, he smiled. It came out better than he predicted it to be. Leaning back in his easy chair, he took a sip of his soda and relaxed. Thinking about Maggie, he hoped that she would appreciate his handy work and the heartfelt gesture behind it all.

* * *

"Let's talk this out," Kendall ignored the exhaustion that was slowly washing over her. She was not about to abandon her sister at a time like this. "What makes you think she's afraid?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's just my own interpretation of things."

"Maybe I can help you figure this out. The two of you have been through a lot, it's only natural to be afraid. You had your share of fears and setbacks and I'm guessing Maggie is still trying to work through hers," Kendall spoke, wise as any older sister could. "Your situations may not be the same, but they are both traumatic to say the least. And sometimes, it takes longer to bounce back, to regain closeness and trust. Think back to your own experience. How long did it take for you to get all that back?"

"A while," Bianca sensed the point her sister was trying to make. "It wasn't easy."

"I'll bet that it's the same for Maggie. If you think about what she went through, being manipulated by Jonathan. She was made to think that you forgot about important dates, he guilt tripped her into believing him," Kendall brushed some hair out of her sister's eyes. "Jonathan messed with her mind. It takes time to trust, let alone be able to love someone again after something like that."

"Is it selfish of me to say that I'm sick of waiting?"

"Have the two of you ever talked about this?"

Bianca sighed. "I know the healing takes time. It's all firsthand experience for me. As for being able to trust and love someone again…Maggie trusts me. We wouldn't be here in New York if she didn't," she saw Kendall raise an eyebrow just as before. "I promised Maggie that I'd wait however long it takes. Yeah, I guess we talked about 'us' but it never got to the point of when the time was right to um… move forward. I don't want to be just a shoulder she can cry on. I want to be –"

"You want it to be more. You want to be the one she is hopelessly in love with." Kendall pushed Bianca's chin up so she could look her in the eyes. "You crave for her happiness and most of all, yours."

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'd do anything for Maggie."

"You never stopped loving her," Kendall could see the look of love in her sister's eyes.

"No, I never did and I love her now more than ever," Bianca smiled, replying softly. She felt Kendall's arms wrapping around her. "I just don't know what to do with this fork in the road." Leaning into her sister's warm embrace, she sighed deeply.

They sat like that for a few minutes, Kendall casting her gaze at the night sky while Bianca tool comfort in her sister's embrace. As the minutes passed, Bianca came to realize that her talk with Kendall was the first time in a long while she acknowledged her own feelings for Maggie.

"I know I'm not the best at giving advice on relationships but I'd like to share with you some words that a wise person once told me," Kendall saw Bianca yawning, noting that it was indeed getting late.

"And what would that be, dear sister?"

"To follow your heart," she smiled. "I'm sure it'll lead you down the right path."

"Thank you Kendall," Bianca reached to hug her. "I really needed this talk tonight."

"It's what big sisters are for. Now, if I may offer some advice of my own. Nothing wise, just my own words."

"Okay," Bianca laughed.

Kendall stood up, extending her hand out so that Bianca could do the same. As they climbed the steps, she offered more of her words. "Talk to Maggie. Tell her how you feel. You never know, maybe she's feeling the same way too but just doesn't know how to say it."

Tilting her head slightly, she smiled. "Why Kendall, I do believe New York is having an effect on you."

"Oh be quiet," Giving her a heartfelt smile, she placed her hand on Bianca's shoulder, "The two of you share a special kind of love. If there are two people in this world that deserve to be together, it's Maggie and you. Now why don't you think about what I just said and get some sleep."

Bianca entered her dark bedroom quietly and stood by the bed. The moonlight seeping through the window was the only source of light in the room. Bianca stood there, noticing how the moonlight was shining on Maggie and Miranda's sleeping faces. Her heart swelled full of love, hearing Kendall's words in the back of her mind.

"_Talk to Maggie. Tell her how you feel. You never know, maybe she's feeling the same way too but just doesn't know how to say it."_

Letting her sister's words embed themselves in her mind, Bianca knew what she needed to do. She walked over to the other side of the bed and slowly moved Miranda over so that there was room for her to sleep. After settling herself in bed, she kissed Maggie and Miranda one more time. Closing her eyes, she fell into slumber wearing a smile, thoughts of Maggie accompanying her into dreamland.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

The early afternoon sun beamed through Bianca's office window at the New York branch of Cambias Industries. Bianca couldn't help tapping her feet, wondering how much longer James would drone on and on before she could finally go home. After all, it was summer and being that it was Friday, was simply another plus.

Her eyes darted back and forth between the clock on her desk and James sitting across from her. She twirled her pen numerous times as she tried to listen attentively to his monotonous voice but the more he spoke, the more it became challenging. Cambias business matters weren't priority on her mind at the moment. The only thing she had on her mind was Maggie.

"Ms. Montgomery? What did you think about my proposal?" James asked Bianca, pointing to the file folder that sat on her desk.

Bianca shook her head slightly, coming back from whatever daydream she was in. "I'm sorry James, what did you say again?"

"The Paris proposal, I was wondering if you had a chance to take a look at it?" he repeated.

"Oh," she looked down at the folder. She realized that he had given her the proposal earlier in the week but neglected to take the time to look it over. "I haven't had the chance."

"No worries, take your time," James stood up from his chair and turned to leave. Reaching the doorway, he turned around, "Ms. Montgomery? I was wondering if…"

"Yes James?"

"My son, he has this Little League game this afternoon. I was wondering if I could take off early," he eagerly asked. "But if you need me here, it's fine."

Bianca smiled. "Tell you what, take the rest of the afternoon off. You've done enough for the day. Have yourself a good weekend."

"Thank you."

"Enjoy your son's game."

Bianca thought about looking over the Paris file James left for her but decided against it. With Maggie being on her mind the whole week, she figured that even attempting to spend the rest of the sunny Friday afternoon doing work wouldn't do her any good, especially when the only thing on her mind was the girl she loved, sitting at home.

A few days had passed since her talk with Kendall. Bianca meant to have a talk with Maggie sooner, but Cambias affairs kept her occupied. Now that it was Friday, she looked forward to finally having a heart to heart with the girl she loved. Grabbing the Paris file from her desk, she stuffed it into her bag. She took one last look at her desk and then made headway for the door.

Bianca was only five steps away from her quick exit when the door suddenly opened. "James, I thought I told you to… oh Greenlee," she stood surprised. "This is really unexpected."

"I was in the neighborhood," Greenlee saw Bianca standing with her bag slung over her shoulder. She immediately surmised that Bianca was on her way out. "Maybe I should have called first."

"What are you talking about? There's no need to call, it's always good to see you," Bianca walked toward the door. "Let's go grab a cup of coffee or something and then you can tell me why you're really here." She motioned for Greenlee to turn around, as they both walked out into the hallway, the office door closing behind them.

* * *

Miranda toddled over to Maggie who was sitting on the couch and pushed the book onto her lap. Pointing to the cover, she babbled, "Bah bah."

"Well, what do we have here?" Maggie placed the magazine she was reading onto the table behind her and then looked down at her lap. "You want me to read to you?" She saw Miranda nod her head. "Okay, why don't you climb up here," helping Miranda get up on the couch. "Curious George Goes to the Zoo," she read the title out loud and then flashed a look at the child. "Isn't this a bit advanced for you?" Seeing as how Miranda gave her no real reaction except for some thumb-sucking and pointing to the book, Maggie began to read.

Ten minutes later, Miranda was asleep on the couch next to Maggie. "That was quick," she said softly, her hand gently stroking the top of the baby girl's head. She was about to reach for her magazine when Jamie and Erin came down the stairs laughing. Maggie quickly motioned for the two of them to be quiet, pressing her finger to her lips, "Shh… little girl is asleep."

Erin peeked over the couch, "Out like a light. It is the early afternoon anyway, the universal naptime for all babies."

"She looks so adorable when she's asleep." Jamie looked at the sleeping child. "Look at her sucking her thumb and all. Hey Mags, you want me to put her in the playpen so you can stretch your legs out on the couch?"

"Sure, that'd be great."

Jamie reached down and picked up Miranda. Slowly, he walked over to the playpen and set her down gently. Miranda didn't stir once, which was a good sign that she was off somewhere in dreamland. He covered her with the blanket and stood back up. "We're gonna go see a movie," he said raking his fingers through his hair. "You'll be fine, right?"

"Yeah," Maggie nodded. She grabbed the magazine from the table. "I'll be okay. You both go and enjoy yourselves."

"You've got my cell if you need it," he reached for his hat and sunglasses.

"I'll be fine."

"Okay," he walked with Erin to the door and opened it only to find someone standing at their doorstep. "David."

"Hi," David replied. "I was hoping that I could see Maggie."

Jamie blocked him from entering. "The last time you were here, Maggie ended up in the hospital. If you think I'm going to let you near her again…"

"Look, I'm not here to cause trouble," David raised his hands in defeat. "I want to make peace. And I wanted to drop by and give Maggie something."

"Sweetie, I think he's being honest," Erin whispered to Jamie. She urged him to step aside so that David could enter. "Don't mind him, he just gets a little too," she nudged Jamie "protective sometimes."

"It's okay, I get it. He was like that with Babe too, but I know he's doing it for all the right reasons," David smiled at Erin.

Maggie sat on the couch looking on at the little exchange at the doorway. She cleared her throat to remind everyone that she was still in the room. "Umm... hi," waving her hand. "Do I get a say in any of this? I mean, after all, it is me that David wants to see."

Jamie turned his head to look at Maggie. He gave her a skeptical look wondering whether or not to let David into the house. "Your choice Maggie. I can kick him right to the curb if you want me to." He said that hoping he would have the chance to turn David away. But his hopes were squashed when he saw Maggie nod her head.

"Let him in," she nodded. "I think it's time he and I make peace."

"Are you sure about this?" Jamie said with slight worry

"Yes, I'm sure. Now the both of you go before you're late for the movie," Maggie shooed the two of them off. She watched David step inside, carrying a large box in front of him. This made Maggie raise an eyebrow as she wondered what her cousin had brought for her. "Don't talk too loud. Miranda's asleep," she pointed over to the playpen.

David softly placed the box on the floor and then looked over at Miranda. "Wow, she's getting big isn't she?" he smiled. "She looks more and more like Bianca everyday."

"Yeah she does," Maggie replied. Moving her feet off the couch, she made room for David to sit down. "What's in the box?"

"We can talk about what's in the box later. Right now, I want to talk about you and me. I think it's time we put the past behind us. That's if you're willing to do that," David sat, hoping that Maggie had it in her heart to start over again as cousins. After everything that transpired in the past year and how he virtually had no family left around him, Maggie was the one last link he had. "If you don't want to, I completely understand. I mean, with everything I did to Bianca and to you –"

Maggie reached over and took her cousin's hand and squeezed it tight. "David… I, a lot has happened in the past year and there are still moments when I find it hard to comprehend what you did but the fact that you're here and willing to accept the mistakes that you made, it means something." She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat before speaking again. "Yes, I'm willing to put the past behind us. But before anything else, can I just say something?"

* * *

Greenlee walked alongside Bianca, wondering where exactly they were headed. Her eyes took in the busy New York City streets as the cars whizzed by around them. This caused Greenlee to go into a daze for a few seconds, evident that she wasn't used to the get-up and go-ness of New York. Trying to keep pace with Bianca, she was still left curious as to the destination that was in mind.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Bianca replied. "I found this place a few weeks ago. It's amazing. Their coffee is to die for."

Greenlee looked ahead to see if she could spot any places that would fit Bianca's taste. Suddenly, it was a block away. She knew that logo anywhere and it was one that stuck out like a sore thumb. Daring whether or not to ask if that was where Bianca was intending to go, she contemplated the possibility but decided to bite the bullet.

"Oh dear God, I hope you fought the temptation of getting hooked on Starbucks," she muttered out loud. "You'd think it was a form of drug here, how they've got one on practically every other city block."

Bianca laughed, "Relax… Starbucks isn't my thing. We're going to the place next to it." She pointed to her left. "Café Europa. Their tiramisu is awesome. That and their coffee." Closing her eyes, she inhaled the scent of coffee beans, "Mmmm, you smell that? French Vanilla."

"Working at Cambias has driven you to a coffee addiction I've noticed." Greenlee followed Bianca into the café and took a seat at one of the tables. Her gaze traveled over to the pastries behind the glass casing. "Oh wow, are those chocolate covered strawberries?"

Bianca rolled her eyes and laughed at Greenlee's amazement. "Yes, I believe they are."

* * *

"The way we left things last time," Maggie began. "I was upset. There was a lot of pent up anger that I had inside." She stopped, deciding rephrase things. "Maybe pent up anger isn't the right term for it. I guess you could say that I held a good amount of resentment toward you." Looking away, she said, "You weren't there for me when I needed you the most. When I needed someone to protect me."

David moved closer to Maggie and put his arm around her. "I'm so sorry I did that to you kiddo," he spoke softly. "If I had the chance to go back to last year, I would have made sure I was there when you needed me to be. But I know that that isn't possible anymore and I regret every mistake I made by not being there."

"It's okay David, Babe is your daughter, and I get that."

"No, it's not okay. Not when I promised you a long time ago that I would be the only family that you needed. I broke my word to you."

Maggie sat quiet for a moment with David next to her. Neither of them exchanged a word to one another as they sat in silence, the only sounds in the room were the ticking of the clock and Miranda's breathing. It wasn't that they didn't want to say much during those moments of silence but it was that they just didn't know what to say to each other. And now that they were both in the same room, ready to put the past behind them, the words they both wanted to express seemed hard to come by.

Both David and Maggie had their own set of questions with hopes of finding out the answers. One thing that was surely in common was that their questions involved the past year and the fact that somehow, somewhere along the way, their familial tie became disconnected.

But now was the time to get it back. It was time to reconnect and rebuild.

"I guess sometimes promises are made to be broken," Maggie's gaze turned toward Miranda. "Someone makes a promise that they'll protect you, be there for you, be all the family you need and next thing you know, that someone turns their back on you." A tear escaped from her eye but she was quick to wipe it away. "But I understand now."

"You understand what Maggie?" David reached over and turned her head so that they were looking eye to eye. "You will always be family to me. No matter the blood relation."

"That's just it David. Blood relation – You and I, we're cousins. But Babe, she's your daughter, the two of you share a special connection. You know, the whole father-daughter thing."

"Yeah," he nodded.

"David, that special connection you and Babe have. It's the kind of connection I always wished I had with you."

* * *

"Wow, you weren't kidding," Greenlee cut up another piece of tiramisu with her fork and ate it. "How did you find this place?"

"There are a couple of places like these around here. Only, they're not as prominent as Starbucks is," Bianca replied, taking another sip of her coffee. "So, tell me. Why the impromptu trip to New York?"

"I told you, I was in the neighborhood."

"Sure you were. And Pine Valley just happens to be right next door." Bianca raised an eyebrow. "Are you and Ryan on the outs?"

Greenlee began swirling the leftover dessert with her fork. "You could say that, but I'm also here because David is with Maggie right now. I think he's there with the intention to put the past behind them and start over," she answered, trying to avoid the question at the same time. Her eyes remained focused on her fork, hoping that Bianca didn't notice the lack of eye contact.

Bianca reached for the fork and took it out of Greenlee's hand, causing her to look up. "I'm glad David is mending fences with Maggie. She needs him as much as he needs her. But you," looking intently at Greenlee's eyes, "I know you're not telling me something. You didn't answer my question before. What's going on with Ryan?"

"I told him that I suspected Jonathan of being the one embezzling the Fusion money."

"And I guess he didn't take it too well."

"He didn't believe me. He refused to. It wasn't until I handed him the folder with all of Jonathan's background information that it finally sunk in," she explained. "I asked Aidan to run a full background check on him. And it turns out that Jonathan has a prior arrest record. And get this, for hitting another woman."

Bianca's jaw dropped. "So Maggie isn't the first one."

"No, she's not."

"How did he get off so easily?"

"According to what I read, because it was his first offense, he got away with doing community service and being forced to go to anger management classes."

"Seems that those classes didn't do him any good," Bianca mumbled under her breath. "So now that Ryan knows the truth about his brother, there shouldn't be any problem now. Right?" she saw the lack of response from the blonde. "Greenlee?"

"Ryan still doesn't know that Jonathan is the one who shot him," she answered. "He also doesn't know what really happened with Maggie."

* * *

David didn't know what to say or how to react to what Maggie said to him just now. The downcast gaze she had broke his heart as he realized the depth of disappointment he caused her. "You will always have a special connection with me," he comforted her the only way he knew how, putting his arm around her. "I'm sorry if it felt like I abandoned you."

"It's not so much as feeling abandoned, it was more like being shoved aside," she swallowed. "For Babe. First it was you and then it was Jamie." Taking a deep breath she continued. "But I didn't let it bother me, or at least I tried not to. Jonathan managed to keep my mind occupied," shuddering at her next thought. "Little did I know the kind of hell I was in already. But Bianca saved me," she cracked a smile. "She never stopped caring about me, even when I told her to butt out of my life."

"That's because she loves you."

"Yeah, I know."

David and Maggie spent the next hour hashing out all the questions they had for each other regarding the past several months. Maggie explained her revelation about her feelings for Bianca and the hurt she felt finding Bianca in bed with Babe. She went in depth about her relationship with Jonathan and how he made her feel loved only to learn how it was a manipulative and dangerous kind of love she had fallen into. The one thing she didn't go in too much in depth with was the abuse that she endured. And as much as David wanted to know about the pain, he understood why Maggie had to hold back. There was no need to dwell on the past anymore. It was time to look toward the future.

They managed to reconnect and begin rebuilding their familial relationship in the time they spent talking. David apologized over and over for not being there for Maggie, promising her now that he'd be at her beck and call if she needed her. It warmed her heart to know how he wanted to be a part of her life again, for good.

Maggie's fingers began picking the lint off the couch cushions. She tilted her head at David and smiled, causing him to give her a look.

"What? Why the smile?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied. "It's just that – I'm glad we talked. It helped to put things in perspective, well at least for you. I'm… things are getting better day by day."

"That's great," he replied. "So, have you picked a name for your boy yet?"

David's question caused Maggie to grin. "Yeah we have, but I'm not telling."

"We?"

"Bianca and I kinda picked it together. But you never know, it could change between now and when he's born."

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it's something good," he noticed how Maggie's eyes wandered over to the box he brought with him. "You're probably wondering what's inside the box."

"You could say that," she waited for an answer. "So, are you going to tell me?"

David walked over to box and slowly lifted something that was covered with a white sheet. He gently placed it on the floor. "It isn't much and I really didn't know what else to give you," he ran his fingers through his hair. "I made one of these for Anna when she was pregnant and I figured I'd build one for your son too." David pulled off the white sheet to reveal a hand-built wooden cradle. "I finished it a couple of days ago and couldn't wait to bring it to you. I hope you like it."

"David, I…" she didn't know what to say. All Maggie could do was sit with a look of awe on her face. "Thank you." She stood up and walked over to the cradle. Running her finger across the finished wood, her eyes wandered to the carved 'S' on the front. She looked up at David and smiled, biting back a few tears.

"I carved the S on the front, for Stone, since I have no idea what his name is going to be."

"David, it's beautiful. Thank you," she wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"You're welcome," he smiled. "I want to tell you something else," he pulled away and cupped Maggie's face with his hands. "No matter what we are to each other, cousins, whatever… We will always be family. I promise to never leave you ever again. I love you, kiddo." He kissed her on the forehead. "And that is the truth."

"Bah!" Miranda babbled from her playpen. She stood along the perimeter, arms stretched, waiting to be picked up.

David and Maggie turned their heads toward the cheerful child. "Looks like someone is up from her nap," he laughed.

* * *

"… And now it seems that Ryan wants to make up for lost time," Greenlee sipped her coffee. She continued to recap what was going on back in Pine Valley regarding Ryan and Jonathan. "They went on some Lavery brothers fishing trip for the weekend."

"He's going to find out soon enough about what Jonathan did," Bianca reminded.

"I know and it's going to break his heart."

"The truth does hurt sometimes but think about what not telling the truth might do to your relationship."

Greenlee sighed, "That's the thing. It's a catch 22 for me, well for Ryan too. No matter what I say, our relationship is going to be strained, as if it wasn't on its way there already. I mean, lately… it just feels like I'm competing with Jonathan for my husband's affection."

"But it's two kinds of affection we're talking about. Ryan is your husband," she held up one hand. "Jonathan is his younger brother," on the other hand. "It's love versus adoration. And really, why compete when you know he loves you dearly."

Greenlee crossed her arms tightly and nodded, "Yeah, you're making complete sense Binks. If love was all about that."

"Love is what you make of it," Bianca grinned.

"I want to get the whole prize. I want my husband," Greenlee leaned forward. "The more I get of Ryan, the more I know when he pulls away. And I don't mean to sound like a brat," she laughed realizing her own words. "Wait, I mean to sound like a brat but Ryan is mine. I can't, no I won't settle for anything less."

Bianca sat back trying not to laugh. She also hoped that no one else was noticing how animated Greenlee was becoming with the use of her hands. "Well, at least you know what you want. You keep your eyes on that prize."

"So what are you trying to say, damn everyone and just tell Ryan the truth about his brother?"

"You do what you feel is right. A wise woman once told me to follow my heart."

"And what wise woman was that? Erica Kane?"

"Actually, it was Kendall."

Greenlee choked on her coffee, causing a little of it to spew from her mouth. She leaned forward, coughing and frantically searching for napkins to wipe up the mess she made. "Crap, I think some of that decaf came out my nose. Ewww," She wiped her face. "Kendall? Wise? Giving you advice? Oh dear God, what is this world coming to?"

Bianca wiped up the rest of the coffee that spilled on the table. "I'll tell Kendall you think that highly of her," she went to toss the napkins in the trash and sat back down again.

"I didn't mean to say it like that," Greenlee said apologetically.

"It's okay. I know you didn't."

"So Kendall gave you advice?"

"On matters of the heart?"

"Yeah, she did." Bianca thought back to her conversation on the front steps. "I know it's hard to believe, but my sister wised up in the whole relationship and romance department. Finding someone who understands will do that to a person."

"She changed because of Ethan," Greenlee nodded. "I still shudder at the thought of the two of us fighting in that pool the day I married Ryan."

"You know, she never did tell me what led to that," Bianca smiled mischievously.

"Sorry, I'm not saying either but getting back to Kendall and love advice…"

"Hard to picture it huh?"

"No, I'm just wondering what it was that caused _her _to be the one giving advice to _you._"

Now it was Bianca's turn to swirl around the leftover tiramisu with her fork. Immediately, Greenlee reached over and pulled the utensil away, setting it down. "I know what it was about now. The two of you talked about Maggie," she saw the smile grow wider on Bianca's face. "Wait, what am I saying? Of course the two of you talked about Maggie."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Judging from how your face lit up when I said her name, yes." Greenlee read Bianca like a book at this point. She thought back to the last face to face conversation she had with her, wondering if anything came of that. "I take it that neither you nor Maggie has touched upon the subject of a relationship since our last talk?"

Bianca filled Greenlee in on her heart to heart with Kendall. Greenlee laughed from time to time as she listened to Bianca's frustration regarding the "stalled" mode that she felt with Maggie. Yet, as the conversation wore on, she came to understand the connection that the girls shared. She saw that the love Bianca had for Maggie ran deep, perhaps more than words could say. And the more they talked about the special connection, the more it caused Bianca to smile.

"Hearing you talk about Maggie like that, it makes me envy you," Greenlee thought about her own love life for a second.

"Envy? Me?"

"Yeah, you heard me right. I envy you," Greenlee tried not to smirk but didn't succeed.

"Why?"

"Because what you have, or what you're about to have with Maggie, it's what Ryan and I used to be. The bliss, the doting, the endless 'I love you's'."

"Whoa, slow down… Maggie and I aren't even there yet. Let alone, I haven't talked to her about my feelings."

"But you will and when you do, it'll be like a whole new world for the both of you."

"A whole new world, I like that," Bianca smiled. She reached for Greenlee's hand, "You and Ryan will get that back too."

Taking comfort in the gesture, she smiled back. "I know. One of us deserves happiness right now and who better than you and Maggie."

"Why don't we give these people their café back and head over to the house? I'm sure Kendall would love to see you," Bianca stood up. "Both of you can gossip and talk about whatever it is that the both of you talk about."

"We so do not gossip. Talk, but not gossip," Greenlee defended. "But I shall take you up on the offer anyway. Let's go."

They arrived at the house a short while later. Walking in, they were greeted to Miranda's sweet smile as she played with David on the floor. With his help, the little girl stood up and toddled toward her mom.

"Hi there sweetheart," Bianca picked her daughter up. "I hope you were a good girl for Maggie."

"Perfect angel," Maggie replied as she entered the living room. "She made me read her Curious George again though."

"Isn't that a little advance for her?" Greenlee raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah that's what I said," Maggie agreed. "But she insisted and you can't say no to this little princess," she said pinching Miranda's cheeks.

Bianca turned to Greenlee, "How would you like to spend some time with Miranda?"

"Umm… Bianca, I'm not that…" she began her unsure reply but soon caught on to what Bianca was trying to do. "Sure why not? Kendall and Ethan are in the kitchen aren't they?"

"Actually, they're out back setting up the grill," Maggie pointed. "Jamie and Erin are out there too."

"Great!" Greenlee took Miranda from Bianca. "Hey there Little Miss. Let's go out back and pull on your Auntie Kendall's hair. She loves it when we do that. David, join me." Her words came off as more of a command rather than a suggestion. Of course it didn't help that she tugged him along.

"I guess we'll all be out back," he said with a confused look.

"We'll join you all in a bit," Bianca called out to them. She turned her attention to Maggie. "Come on, let's go for a walk in Central Park. It's such a nice evening outside."

"Bianca, what was that all about? It sounded like you pushed them out into the backyard for a reason," Maggie asked. She stood in front of Bianca still looking confused.

"Forget about them for a little bit. It's just you and me," she led Maggie out the door and down the steps. "And it'll be you and I forever after you hear what I have to say," she mumbled softly to herself, smiling as she walked side by side with Maggie on their way to Central Park.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

_*thud* _

"Ouch, that was my foot," Jamie complained as he and Ethan were positioning the crib against the wall. "A little to the left… almost, almost, okay I think it's set."

"Hey you two, quiet down in here or else you'll wake them up," Kendall walked in holding Miranda against her hip. A smile appeared on her face as she entered the room. "Wow, the two of you really did a wonderful job. Maggie is going to love this."

"Maggie is going to love what," Greenlee said out loud only for her jaw to drop as soon as she came into the room. "Oh my," she looked around. "The three of you worked on this?"

"Actually, it's all Jamie and Ethan's doing," Kendall said, setting Miranda down on the floor to wander.

"Jamie's idea, I was just someone who assisted," Ethan ran his fingers through his hair.

"And I added the artistic touch," Erin walked in balancing a pile of boxes in her arms. "Um… guys, think you can give me a hand. I mean, there's still a whole load of stuff downstairs that needs to be brought up."

Jamie immediately rushed over to Erin and grabbed the boxes. "Let's leave the rest of the stuff downstairs. I want this room to be the last thing Maggie sees after opening everything else."

Erin wiped the sweat from her brow and smiled, "Whatever works for you. So, how do you like the Winnie the Pooh border? I hope it's not too much," she shrugged.

"Pooh!" Miranda babbled. She toddled over to Kendall and held out her arms. Immediately she was picked up and then pointed at the graphic on the wall.

"Yeah sweetheart, Pooh bear," Greenlee walked over to Kendall and gently squeezed Miranda's cheek. "It looks wonderful Erin."

"Thanks," she nudged Jamie in the side. "Told you they'd like it."

"Fine, you win."

"Hey, it's better than the construction paper idea you had."

Ethan turned his head, "Construction paper?"

"Oh you don't want to know," Erin giggled. "He had this great idea about putting up all these construction paper cut outs and I told him no."

Jamie blushed, "Awww come on, that's just my creativity at work."

Everyone continued to talk not realizing the volume of their voices. Soon enough their chatter lead to laughter all of them forgetting how Bianca and Maggie's room was right across the hall. It wasn't until Bianca opened her door slightly, saying something about the noise they were all making.

"People still sleeping across the hall over here," she stuck her head out into the hallway and interrupted the cheerful conversation that was going on. "Come on guys, Maggie's still asleep."

Kendall turned to Bianca, "Sorry Binks. Let's take this downstairs everyone." She walked out of the room hoping everyone else would follow. As she walked by she whispered, "For someone who just woke up, you sure do have a big smile on your face. Actually, that smile hasn't disappeared for the last two weeks."

Bianca didn't reply. Even with severe bed-head, her face seemed to glow with contentment.

"You don't even need to answer my last comment," Kendall replied to the look on her sister's face. "I'm happy that you got what you've been wishing for. I'm happy for the both of you. Now go and get some more sleep, we'll be downstairs waiting for the both of you."

"Thanks," Bianca disappeared into the bedroom, slowly closing the door behind her. She tiptoed back to bed and carefully climbed back in trying not to wake Maggie in the process. Bianca couldn't stop smiling as she laid there, her eyes affixed on a Maggie whose mouth was open slightly, hair draped over her eyes. It warmed Bianca's heart over and over, realizing that her own wishes and dreams finally came true. The love of her life, her soul mate was lying there right next to her.

Bianca shifted over slightly, brushing some hair away from Maggie's face and kissing her forehead. She leaned back against her pillow and simply watched Maggie sleep, thinking back to their walk in Central Park a little over two weeks ago.

"_So, why the sudden urge for Central Park?" Maggie asked as she walked alongside Bianca. _

"_Do I have to have a reason for everything I do these days? Bianca laughed. "I wanted us to have some time alone together. I've been spending too much time at Cambias the last few days that I haven't been able to really spend time with you." She entered the park, leading Maggie down the path to their destination. "Just indulge me, okay?"_

_"Okay," Maggie agreed. _

_They walked along the perimeter of the park, taking in the sights around them. Every so often, they would come across a father and son playing a game of catch or a mother and daughter sitting on the grass reading a book. What probably warmed their hearts the most was seeing a few families spending time together, parents laughing and playing with their children. It was definitely the kind of picture Bianca had in mind with regard to her future with Maggie and their kids, a picture perfect family._

_The sun began setting along the horizon as the two of them continued to walk. A slight summer breeze blew which in turn was refreshing considering the latest pattern of humid days that passed through the New York City area. Anything other than humidity was a welcome change in the city, except for rain that is. Neither liked the rain very much, especially since it made Miranda all stir crazy not being able to go out because of it._

_After what felt like a twenty-minute walk, a few patent grins from Bianca and weird, confused looks from Maggie who had no idea why Bianca was smiling that way, they reached their destination. As they came closer to it, Maggie's confused look transformed into a smile, realizing what she was seeing before her. It left her amazed to say the least, wondering how Bianca managed to even find a place like the one she was seeing, thinking that there was only one of its kind, existing only in Pine Valley. _

_Their walk led them to a boathouse right in the heart of Central Park. _

_Maggie walked up and sat down on the bench. She marveled at the architecture, noticing how similar it was to the one back in Pine Valley yet so different. The one major similarity it had was the way it faced the water, giving any sightseer the best view of the park one could ever imagine. Maggie tipped her head back and closed her eyes, inhaling the fresh air coming off of the lake. She opened her eyes and looked up at Bianca who was smiling back down at her._

"_How did you ever find a place like this?" Maggie asked. _

_Bianca sat down next to Maggie. "I kinda stumbled upon it, really. A few weeks ago, I was stressed out from all the business stuff at Cambias that I decided to take a walk before heading home. I wanted to have a clear head instead of coming home feeling all irritated and then inadvertently taking it out on everyone in the house. Miranda doesn't need that and honestly, you don't either. So I kept walking and walking, soon enough, I found this place," she motioned with her hand. "It feels almost like home."_

"_Yeah it does," Maggie gazed across the lake. Her eyes conveyed another emotion altogether. One that was not completely oblivious to Bianca who caught on right away. She felt Bianca take hold of her hand._

"_What are thinking you about?" Bianca's eyes focused on Maggie. She saw that familiar not so distant look in them. _

_"I was umm..." Maggie looked down and then looked back up again. Her eyes met Bianca's, "I was just thinking about the last time we ever set foot inside the boathouse. The one back in Pine Valley."_

_"I remember." _

_"It really wasn't under the best of circumstances but still, that last time we stepped foot in that boathouse…" Maggie sighed. "I still miss it from time to time." _

"_I do too. I always felt safe whenever I was there. But," Bianca was still holding onto Maggie's hand. "I've always felt safest when I'm with you." she noticed the lack of reaction from Maggie. "Hey, why so quiet?"_

"_Nothing, it's just that…" Maggie's voice trailed. "Bianca, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for pushing you away this past year."_

_Bianca was taken aback slightly by the sudden apology from Maggie. __She honestly had no idea what prompted Maggie to do so. And then she realized the reason why. "Mags, there's nothing to apologize for. We both had a rough time," she said soothingly. "What matters most is that you're not pushing me away anymore."_

"_I know, it's just that…"_

"_What?"_

"_There are moments when I wonder how different my life would be had I not made the choices I made. Had I not gotten involved with Jonathan… I know, I shouldn't even be thinking about the past."_

"_Sometimes we just can't help it."_

"_Yeah," Maggie's voice softened. She turned to face Bianca, biting her bottom lip, thinking about what she wanted to say. "These last months… I couldn't have made it without you, Bianca. When I needed to vent, you listened. When I needed to be quiet, you were quiet too," seeing a smile appear on the brunette's face, she continued. "When I was afraid to sleep alone in the dark or when there was a storm, you were there to comfort me. You slept in my bed, wrapping your arms around me, reassuring me over and over that I was safe. You made me laugh. You let me cry," Maggie tossed a glance at the lake before meeting Bianca's eyes again. "How did you manage to do everything just right?"_

_Moving closer, Bianca brushed some hair away from Maggie's face and tucked it behind her ear and smiled. "I fell in love with you."_

_Maggie tilted her head and smiled. It was amazing how those simple words from Bianca had her in complete awe. She couldn't figure out whether it was hormones or not but for that moment, all she could do was smile. It was the only way to express the emotions she was feeling both inside and out. Her deep brown eyes focused intently on Bianca's not once wanting to stray in this close moment._

"_Falling in love with you," Bianca held Maggie's hands. "It was the easiest, most natural thing I've ever done. All I have ever wanted was to be with you."_

"_I've felt the same way. You remember the plans we made? How I was going to skip town with you before Miranda was born. I would take a leave from school, we'd figure out a way to get by, hide from everyone. It didn't matter where we'd go, we were best friends and all that mattered was that I was protecting you."_

"_And now I'm protecting you. But you know, amidst all this chaos, what I realized?"_

"_What?" Maggie asked._

"_How we're meant to be together. You and I… best friends, soul mates. It's always been like that."_

"_It has," Maggie nodded. "The closeness we have, it's one of the bright spots of my life, next to Miranda that is."_

"_Me too. I think Miranda is a bright spot in everyone's lives, not just yours and mine," Bianca ran her fingers through her hair. "You know, sometimes I wish I could just roll back the clock and erase the events of last year. Just so I could have said what you wanted to hear when you admitted your feelings."_

"_I wish I could turn back time too."_

"_Except for Miranda. I will never regret having Miranda."_

"_And I don't think I'll regret these past months, with my baby growing inside me. But sometimes, there's always this feeling I have. Like I'm searching for something that is just out of reach."_

"_When I'm with you, nothing is out of reach," Bianca dared to say it. She was now baring her whole soul to Maggie in hopes that the feelings would be reciprocated in return. _

"_It's almost perfect, isn't it?"_

"_Why almost? It is perfect, Maggie."_

"_Yeah, it is."_

_"__You know, I fell in love with you, before you even noticed I did. And I stayed in love after it seemed like you lost your feelings for me." Maggie smiled. _

"_Well, I never lost my love for you. It was just," Bianca giggled. "It was just…misplaced."_

"_It's okay, I'm not blaming you. I know you went through a rough time." Maggie reassured her, placing her palm on top of Bianca's hand._

"_If I had last year to live all over again, nothing would stop me from being with you."_

"_All we have is the present. That's what you've always told me." Maggie reached out for Bianca._

"_And today, tonight, this minute," Bianca looked down at her hands. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, feeling her heart race or probably skip a few beats here and there. For the first time in the longest while, she truly and really felt the undying love that was in her heart. "I'm asking you if you'll give me a chance. I know I hurt you before but not this time." She slid closer, brushing away some hair from Maggie's face, letting her hand longer there. "But if it's too soon, I completely understand. I just want you to think about it and if you want me to wait… I will wait as long as…"_

_Bianca wasn't even given the chance to complete her sentence when Maggie suddenly leaned in, capturing Bianca's lips with a deep, passionate kiss. Bianca responded with fervor, deepening the kiss as the seconds passed by. They continued their loving embrace almost as though neither of them wanted it to end. Mutually, they pulled away, foreheads pressed together and a smile on both their faces. Words could not express the surge of emotion that was in that kiss, the one sure thing being that it was a defining moment for the two of them that was a long time coming._

"_Wow…" Bianca was at a loss for words. She was still trying to catch her breath, her eyes not once straying from the deep brown eyes in front of her. Intertwining her fingers with Maggie's while bringing the other hand to Maggie's cheek, she whispered, "I love you."_

"_I love you too," Maggie lovingly smiled. She leaned in and kissed Bianca again, almost as if reading her mind, granting the one thing she had been wishing for the longest time. "No more waiting, I love you, with all my heart and soul."_

_They sat at the boathouse for the next hour, watching the sunset and the day come to an end. Soon the remaining daylight turned into moonlight, some of which reflected off of the lake. Maggie sat wrapped in Bianca's embrace, her fingers playfully drawing circles on Bianca's arm._

"_You know, I had gotten pretty used to being in that whole best friends phase, not realizing how much I loved you. We would always be on a different page with our feelings, but now… You and I, we're finally on the same page and it feels so good. It feels so good to be able to love you and be loved back," Maggie looked up at her. "I love you."_

"_You sound happy," Bianca ran her fingers through Maggie's hair. _

"_Because I am."_

"_Me too," she kissed the top of Maggie's head. "Perfectly, blissfully happy."_

"Perfectly, blissfully happy," Bianca whispered those words out loud. The smile on her face remained as she watched Maggie's eyes slowly flutter open. "Good morning."

"Hi," Maggie's eyes continued to flutter open, still trying to adjust to the sunlight in the room. She stretched her arms out, letting a small yawn escape in the process. "The Little Man wouldn't let me sleep. I swear, he's going to grow up to be a soccer player."

"I used to say the same thing about Miranda. Seems like your boy is a night person."

"I sure hope not," Maggie struggled to sit up with Bianca's help. "But I did manage to get a decent night's sleep."

"Well good, because you know, as soon as he's born, sleep becomes a privilege."

"Thanks for the reminder," Maggie rolled her eyes. "So, how long have you been awake?"

"Not for too long. The wonderful other residents of our house woke me up with all their chatter. You on the other hand were out cold. Didn't even cause you to stir," Bianca got out of the bed, Maggie following suit. "I was watching you sleep before."

"Oh you were?"

"Yes I was," Bianca came up from behind, wrapping her arms around Maggie. She pushed some of Maggie's hair out of the way with her nose and blazing a trail of soft kisses on the back of Maggie's neck and along her shoulder. "I love watching you sleep."

"You do huh?" Maggie giggled at the physical affection she was receiving. It was no secret how Bianca knew all of her vulnerable spots and seemed to take advantage of them as of late. "You know what you're doing is tickling me."

"Mmmhhmm," Bianca grinned, not letting anything stop her. "But…" she turned Maggie around so that they were face to face, pressing her own forehead against her girlfriend's. "I can't help it. I was thinking about our walk in the park two weeks ago And then I realized that we're finally together in every sense of the word and all I want to do is show how much I love you. In each," kissing Maggie's forehead. "And every," kissing her cheek, "way," she finally captured Maggie's lips with her own.

"I think someone likes your affection too," Maggie laughed, feeling a soft kick in her stomach.

"All the better. That's one less person to impress."

"You know Bianca, you've been handsy lately. Not that I mind, I mean…"

"If it's too much…"

"No… no… it's just that," Maggie hesitated for a moment. "Oh hell," she pressed her lips against the brunette's, exploring each other's mouths like it was their first time. Pulling away, she breathlessly sighed, "I love you."

"I love you too," Bianca replied. "We should get all showered and changed. Everyone is downstairs waiting for us."

"And why may I ask?"

"No idea, Kendall said to come downstairs as soon as we both woke up," Bianca quickly glanced at the clock. "Considering what time it is, I'm guess they've got some kind of lunch planned."

"Alright then," Maggie went over to her dresser and pulled out a change of clothes. "You want to use the bathroom first or should I?"

"You go ahead. I don't take as long as you do."

"Is that supposed to mean something?"

"Just get in there," Bianca laughed.

"Fine fine…" Maggie entered, shutting the door behind her.

Bianca fell back onto the bed and sighed happily. It was no mistake how blissful she felt in the past two weeks and knew that it would only get better with each passing moment. As she closed her eyes to reflect on the cheerful turn her and Maggie's life took, the bedroom door was pushed open by a tiny hand, Miranda toddling in.

"Momma… Momma," the little girl repeated over and over, making her way to Bianca.

"Miranda! Mommy's still sleeping," Kendall came running in after her. "Sorry Binks. She insisted that I take her upstairs."

"No, it's okay," Bianca picked up her darling daughter and sat her on her knee.

"Momma," Miranda babbled. "Pooh."

Kendall laughed, "She means Winnie the Pooh. We were all marveling at the job Jamie and Ethan did to the nursery."

"It's quite the sight."

"Yes it is," Kendall stood at the doorway, noticing the look of contentment on her sister's face. "You still haven't stopped smiling," she teased.

"Well, love can do wonders to your life, I've heard," Bianca replied as she sat with Miranda. She continued to bounce Miranda on her knee with Kendall looking on. She couldn't be anymore right with her words. Love did do wonders and the proof was right there in the eyes.

Bianca loved Maggie and Maggie loved her right back.


	31. Chapter 31

_**Chapter 31**_

_*ring… ring*_

Jonathan picked his head up from the pillow and reached for his cell phone. Without checking the caller ID, he answered gruffly, "Jonathan Lavery"

"You're short," the voice on the other end threatened. "I said one hundred thousand dollars and you only give me half of what I asked for?"

"You will have the rest of the money at the end of the week." Jonathan sat up in bed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes, I swear, Friday you will have the rest of your money."

"Remember, you don't give me what I want, I turn you in. And you don't want that do you? Friday night, make sure it's all there."

_*click*_

"Shit," Jonathan mumbled. He immediately got out of bed and slipped on a pair of jeans and a shirt. Grabbing his wallet, phone and car keys, he stormed out of his apartment. Determined to find a way to weasel out of the predicament he was in, Jonathan made the quick journey to the one place he knew had what he needed.

* * *

"Kendall?" Greenlee called out to her curly haired friend who was sitting on the front steps.

"Hey," Kendall looked up. She patted the spot next to her. "Come on down and sit. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Greenlee replied. "I just wanted to say thank you for letting me stay here the past few days. I hope I haven't overstayed my welcome though."

"You're always welcome to stay here. I mean after all, it is your place."

"Yeah," Greenlee looked away. It was clear that there was something on the blonde's mind.

Kendall caught on to her friend's lackluster response. Her concern beginning to grow, she asked, "Is everything okay? I know you didn't want to say much a few days ago but I'm guessing you're ready to talk about it?"

Greenlee didn't respond for a minute. Her eyes conveyed most of her emotion, the downcast gaze giving away the apparent frustration that lingered on her face. "I just don't understand why Ryan has to be so stubborn. Why can't he see that his brother is nothing but trouble?"

"You are Ryan are still on the outs?"

"Still on the outs pretty much describes it all. I told him the truth about his brother, how he hit Maggie, has a police record and is the person I'm suspecting for stealing money from Fusion."

"He didn't take it well, huh?"

Greenlee shot a glance at the sky and then turned to Kendall. "He thinks he can save him. He's on this whole guilt trip for leaving him behind. Jonathan is playing Ryan like a fiddle and my poor husband is falling for it."

"I hate to say it but your husband really has a problem with wanting to save everyone. He needs to get over this whole savior complex."

"Tell me about it," Greenlee laughed sarcastically. "We did confront Jonathan about all his misdeeds," she laughed again in the same sarcastic manner. "And get this, he says Braden is behind the missing Fusion funds. That Braden wants revenge on Ryan and what better way than to take money from him."

Kendall raised her eyebrow as though she wasn't buying into the story that Greenlee was telling her. Something about Jonathan's excuse of a story made her skeptical. Nothing added up right to her and somehow, blaming Braden made it all too good to be true. Greenlee noticed the sudden lack of words from her friend, sparking a questioned look.

"You think Jonathan's lying," she surmised. "You're not buying into his story."

"The pieces don't add up."

"Then how do you account for the fingerprints on the scrapbook Jonathan showed Ryan and me?"

"Look, I didn't say I was Sherlock Holmes,"

"Sorry."

They sat quiet for a moment, Greenlee reflecting on the night when she and Ryan confronted Jonathan. She recollected every moment in her mind, trying to figure out where the loopholes were in Jonathan's story. The more she went over the turn of events in her head the more it became more believable that Jonathan was indeed the culprit.

"Okay, we're sure of one thing and it's that Jonathan shot Ryan," Greenlee broke the silence. She was carefully putting the clues together in her head as she spoke. "Question is, why would Braden be the one taking the money?"

"Because anger boy needs someone to be the fall guy?" Kendall replied. "Think about it, what does Braden have against Ryan? Nothing… I mean, Ryan helped Braden escape town years ago. On the other hand, little brother Jonathan has a reason to hate big brother."

"The resentment for leaving, it's the one and only thing he can always hold over Ryan's head."

"Give the girl a cookie!" Kendall said in a game show host voice.

"You keep the cookie. You need it more than I do," Greenlee shot back. "Okay, so now how do I prove to my husband that his brother isn't all he's cracked up to be?"

"I thought you did that already."

"Well, I need something more. Something solid, that can't be doubted or anything."

"I think I have an idea," Kendall stood up from the steps. She extended her hand out to Greenlee, helping her up. They both climbed the steps and entered the house. She walked over to the phone and began dialing.

Greenlee didn't even have to ask who Kendall was calling. She knew right away that there was one person who could get the goods on the brothers Lavery, Jonathan and Braden that is. She stood and watched Kendall talk into the phone, shelling out all the details that were needed. After a ten minute conversation, she smiled, notably matching the one on Kendall's face.

"So he's going to investigate it further for us?" she asked her curly haired friend.

"Aidan said that he'd do what he could. No guarantees though that any leads will pan out but he said to sit tight and not do anything," Kendall rolled her eyes, "rash."

"Please, us?" Greenlee laughed. "Like we'd do something like that, he really thinks we'd take matters into our own hands?"

Kendall stood up and placed her arm over Greenlee's shoulder. "You and me, we're a combo that shouldn't be messed with. Now how about we go raid the fridge and have more of that cake from Maggie's baby shower," she ushered the blonde into the kitchen.

"Only if I get dibs on the strawberry," Greenlee chuckled.

"I liked the whipped cream more anyway," Kendall winked.

"So not going there…"

* * *

"Good night sweetheart," Bianca kissed Miranda's forehead. She adjusted the girl's blanket one last time and exited the bedroom. Making her away over to her own bedroom, she walked inside and found Maggie dozing off. Bianca closed the door behind her and climbed into bed. After turning off the lamp on her nightstand, she then moved closer to Maggie.

"I enjoyed today," Maggie said sleepily.

"I thought you were sleeping already," Bianca whispered.

Maggie yawned, "I was waiting for you."

"You didn't have to."

"But I wanted to."

"Okay," Bianca yawned. "I'm glad you enjoyed today. I had no idea they planned something like that."

Maggie turned her head and looked at Bianca. It amazed her that even in the darkness, she could still make out contours of Bianca's face, although it helped that there was moonlight shining in through the window. "I still can't believe Jamie was the one who worked on the nursery. It's beautiful."

Bianca smiled, "He definitely worked his butt off. I know he stayed up all night a couple of times these past few weeks so it would be done in time."

"I love the Winnie the Pooh theme the most," Maggie began tracing small circles on Bianca's arm. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"More than you know." Another yawn escaped from Maggie. She shifted slightly, trying to accommodate herself into a more comfortable position in bed. "Bianca?"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering…"

"What?"

"Well, you know how the two of us decided on a name for my baby boy?"

"Of course, it's such a perfect name too," Bianca caressed the side of Maggie's face with her hand. She realized where the conversation was headed. "You thought of a new name, didn't you?"

"You could say that," Maggie replied tiredly. "I had this dream the other night."

"And are you going to tell me about the dream?"

"If I did," she yawned again. "Then it would ruin the surprise." Maggie's eyes began to close, yet still somewhat alert to listen to Bianca's voice. "You'll love it."

"So you're not going to tell me what the new name is?" Bianca feigned hurt about not being let in on what Maggie's new name choice was. "Tell me, please?"

Maggie didn't even reply as she was now sound asleep, her eyes closed and her breathing steady. The one thing that remained on Maggie's face was her smile. It warmed Bianca's heart to see her girl, the love of her life glowing with happiness. _Her girl_, two words that echoed in her mind and heart over and over. And it was with that thought that she snuggled close to Maggie, closing her eyes hoping her dreams were as sweet as her life was now.

* * *

Jonathan drove along the highway not paying any attention to the signs around him. It was just the road and him, driving together in the dark night. His eyes focused steadily on the road ahead while his mind reflected on the events of the past couple of hours.

_"__Lavery works fast," chuckled a voice in the darkness, climbing the steps. He picked up the bag and peered inside. "Perfect…" he flipped open his cell phone, ready to place a call._

_"__No need to call me, I'm right here," Jonathan stepped out of the darkness. He was holding something in his hand that was difficult to make out. _

_"__Nice doing business with you. Until our next transaction."_

_"__Oh my friend, I don't think there will be a need for another transaction," Jonathan stepped forward into the moonlight clutching a wooden club in his hand. "Nice doing business with you…"_

'New York City, 50 miles,' Jonathan's eyes read the sign as he drove past it. He smiled from ear to ear, exhaling a sigh of relief that there was one less person breathing down his neck. One less trouble meant more freedom, which in turn made Jonathan feel good. He was well on his way to getting away with everything he'd done so far, especially since he had just erased the one thing from his past that kept catching up with him.

Jonathan was now determined more than ever to find Maggie and have the family he was supposed to have. The kind of love he was supposed to have and most of all, be able to be the father that he never got to have.

Yes, Jonathan Lavery may have gone too far this time but he was willing to do anything to have that perfect life he always wanted. And it didn't matter who was in his way.

* * *

"Bianca?" Maggie tugged on her girlfriend's arm. "Bianca. Bianca, wake up."

"Mmm… yes?"

"Bianca you need to wake up," Maggie was struggling to sit up. It was only then when Bianca was finally being lulled awake. "I think…"

"You think what?" Bianca yawned.

"I think my water just broke."

"What!" Bianca shot up. She nearly fell out of bed as she reached over to turn on the lamp on her nightstand. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at Maggie, "What do you mean your water broke? You're not due for like another two weeks."

"Well, I guess he doesn't want to wait anymore," Maggie said, desperately trying to sound calm. She couldn't help but feel both excited and scared at the same time. "David was supposed to come into town later this week so he could be here when the baby was born. Some timing huh?"

Bianca got out of bed, trying not to trip in the process. Her eyes scanned the room in search of Maggie's pre-packed suitcase. As she stumbled around, her mind kept drawing a blank on what to do next.

Maggie watched Bianca scramble around their room. It amused her somewhat how frazzled Bianca was getting, almost as if she was a first time parent but in reality wasn't. She called out to her, "Bianca?"

"Yes?" Bianca stopped and looked at Maggie who was still sitting on their bed.

"You need to stay calm."

"Yes… calm. I am calm," Bianca lied. She was anything but calm and Maggie could tell right away. Bianca then grabbed her jeans and slipped them on along with a t-shirt which she slipped right over her head. Her eyes landed on Maggie again, taking note of the look on her face.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Bianca sat back down on the bed. She took this moment to gather her nerves as well as catch her breath.

"Because I've never seen you like this before. It's cute," Maggie took hold of Bianca's hand. Right at that moment she flinched, "Okay… obviously that was a contraction. This boy doesn't want to wait anymore."

Bianca rushed over to Maggie's side. She guided her out of bed, grabbed the bag and ushered her out of the room. On their way to the stairs, Bianca knocked on Jamie's bedroom door. When he didn't answer after the first series of knocks, she proceeded to knock harder, practically banging her fist on the door.

"Jamie!" she called out.

The door finally opened, a messy haired, eyes barely open and dressed in only boxers (Sponge Bob to be exact) Jamie standing at his doorway. Erin was standing behind him wearing one of his t-shirts. "Bianca, you do know what time it is," he rubbed his eyes. "What's going on?"

Shoving her way in, she grabbed Jamie's jeans and tossed them toward him. "Put your pants on, find a shirt… Maggie's going into labor and you're going to drive."

"Wha… what?!" his eyes went wide.

Erin pulled her jeans on and grabbed a sweater. "Honey, she said Maggie's going to have the baby. Get those jeans on and meet us downstairs." She walked over to Bianca and Maggie who were standing out in the hallway. "Come on, let's you get to the living room. And Jamie… hurry, okay?"

Jamie pulled on his jeans and grabbed one his shirts. Finally getting over the initial shock of what was going on, he grabbed his wallet and car keys and rushed downstairs. "I'm going to go get the car. You all wait here. And Mags, umm…stay calm or do whatever it is women do when it's time to have a baby."

"Yeah Jamie, okay," Maggie rolled her eyes. "Really you two, I'm okay," she assured Erin and Bianca. "One of you should call the hospital and someone should make sure we have someone to watch Miranda."

"Kendall can watch her," Bianca immediately suggested. "Kendall!" she called out, forgetting that Miranda was sound asleep upstairs. "Kendall!" Seeing as how her sister wasn't answering, she made her way into the kitchen.

"Kendall!" Bianca said her sister's name again as she entered, unprepared for what she was about to see before her. "Kendall, Maggie's about to…" she walked in to find her sister and Greenlee with their faces covered in whipped cream, strawberries scattered on the tabletop.

"Yes Binx?" Kendall grabbed a napkin and wiped off her face.

"Look, I don't even want to know," Bianca made an unsure face. "Maggie's about to have the baby… Jamie, Erin and I are heading to the hospital. I need the two of you to stay back here and watch over Miranda."

"Sure, no problem," Kendall nodded.

"We'll take care of her," Greenlee chimed in. "Do you want me to call David?"

"Yes please," Bianca nodded. She heard Erin calling out her name from the living room. "Okay, Jamie's got the car outside. We're leaving." She turned around and left the kitchen.

Kendall and Greenlee looked at each other and laughed. They couldn't help but do so considering the innocent yet somewhat embarrassing situation they were caught in.

"I hope she doesn't get the wrong idea," Greenlee was still laughing as she cleaned up the cream from her face.

"Nah, she won't even remember," Kendall reached for another napkin, wiping up the mess on the table. "She's excited about Maggie's baby and I'll bet you that's the only thing on her mind."

"If you say so…"

They made it to the hospital in record time. Of course it was all thanks to Jamie's speedy driving not to mention beating a couple of red lights here and there. No one seemed to mind at all as long as they got there in one piece.

Bianca helped Maggie into the emergency room where they were met by Julia Santos, whom they called en route to the hospital. Maggie was holding Bianca's hand the whole way, squeezing it when another contraction would pass.

"Maggie, how are we doing so far?" Julia helped Maggie into the wheelchair that was waiting. She smiled down at the blonde, noticing the look of excitement on her face and the notable frazzled look of somewhat panic on Bianca's.

"I'm doing okay, but you might want to give this one here a slight sedative," she glanced up at Bianca.

"Very funny," she stuck her tongue out Maggie. "I'm okay now."

"You sure didn't sound like it before when you were yelling at Jamie to drive faster."

Julia laughed at the exchange. "Alright, let's get you over to maternity. We've been waiting for you."

Bianca walked alongside Maggie as they went down the hallway. Maggie didn't once let go of Bianca's hand, looking up every now and then as if conveying with her eyes the words, 'don't leave me.'

"Okay," Julia stopped outside of the room. "Bianca, I'm going to need you to fill out some paperwork while I get Maggie all checked in and settled. Think you can do that?"

"Sure," Bianca nodded. She bent down and kissed Maggie. "I'll be right back."

"And I'll be waiting for you," Maggie replied. She mouthed the words I love you, Bianca mouthing the same as she walked away to fill out the paper work.

"Well then, let's go have this baby," Julia wheeled Maggie into her room.

Fifteen minutes later, Maggie was changed into a hospital gown and was lying back on the bed. Julia was asking her questions about the pain and how long she has been in labor.

"What time is it?" Maggie did her best to remain calm but as the minutes passed by, it became more of a challenge. The contractions were now close together. She clenched her teeth for a moment before answering Julia's questions.

"It's almost 4am." Julia replied.

"Then I guess for about 45 minutes," Maggie answered.

"Alright," Julia nodded. "I think you still have a bit of time but let me check to see how much you're dilated.

At that moment, Bianca came into the room. She was looking calmer and more reserved than before, now wearing a smile on her face. Maggie took that smile as a sign that she was fine and extended her hand out to Bianca.

Julia went about her duties while Bianca and Maggie held each other's hands and exchanged happy glances. Pushing her chair back slightly, Julia removed her surgical gloves and tossed them into the trash. "Okay Maggie, it looks like your little boy is ready to make an appearance in the world."

"Great."

"Now, the number we want is 10. You're about halfway there and considering the short time you've been in labor, this boy sure is a fast mover. It won't be much longer." Julia beamed with contentment. "Just sit tight for a little bit and I'll be back to check on you."

"Okay," Maggie nodded.

"Now, before I go, would you like me to explain the epidural process? I mean, if you would like one?"

Maggie's face immediately went pale, remembering what she read about regarding an epidural. Without even a thought, she shook her head and turned down the option, the color in her face returning as soon as she voiced her decision.

* * *

Jamie walked about the waiting room while Erin sat calmly, flipping through a magazine. Both of them jumped back suddenly at the sound of Jamie's cell phone ringing. Quickly fetching it from his pocket, Jamie answered, "Hello? Yeah David, we're here at the hospital."

While Jamie was busy on the phone talking to David, Erin decided to check her cell phone for any missed calls. Her eyes went wide as soon as she saw that there were 5 missed calls displayed on her front LCD screen. She flipped open her phone and went into the call history to see who had called her. Checking the list, she breathed a little easier realizing that it was only friends from class listed, leaving to her surmise that they each had called to see if she was able to hang out. Erin scrolled down the list a little further, gasping when she saw the most recent missed call.

J. Lavery

Erin stood up from her chair and stared at the caller list for a few seconds, wondering what reason Jonathan had for calling her. It was at the moment when she suddenly realized what month it was. "August," she mumbled under her breath. "Crap," she said startled, Jamie coming up behind her. "I take it that you filled David in?"

Jamie stuffed his cell phone back into his jean pocket. "Yup," he nodded. "He said that he was planning to come into New York anyway tomorrow to attend some surgical conference but now with this news, he's getting an early start. David said he should be arriving in a couple of hours."

"Oh okay. That's great."

"Erin, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Who said anything was wrong?" Jamie walked Erin over to some plastic chairs where they both sat down.

"You just have that look."

Erin remained quiet for a few seconds. Finally she looked Jamie in the eyes and answered his concern. "My brother called," she said looking down at her cell phone. "Jonathan… he called me."

"And what does he want?"

"I don't know."

"He wants Maggie, that's what he wants. Maggie and her son and he'll do anything to get his hands on them."

"Jamie, what are we going to do?" Erin leaned into him. She rested her head against his chest.

Jamie pulled out his phone and flipped it open. "One call should take care of things. Don't worry, we are going to keep Maggie and her little boy safe."

* * *

"I'm tired," Maggie said in frustration. "This is taking a lot out of me."

"You can do this," Bianca wiped away some hair from Maggie's forehead.

"Okay Maggie, your little boy is almost here. But he needs your help, so let's push one more time," Julia was smiling. She could already see the baby's head. "Ready?"

Bianca kissed Maggie's forehead and smiled, giving her the extra support needed at the moment. She couldn't help but laugh slightly, seeing Maggie clenching her teeth in pain. It brought her back to her own memories of when Miranda was born. It was only then when Bianca realized how much her hand was aching. Every time a shot of pained passed through Maggie, Bianca felt the grip tighten in her hand.

"You're doing great Mags," she reassured her. "Just don't break my hand, okay?"

"Alright, on the count of three," Julia looked up to see if Maggie was ready. "One, two, three…"

Maggie clenched her teeth together and pushed with all of her might. She soon felt a huge amount of pressure dissipating from the lower half of her body and fell back on the bed in exhaustion. After an unsuccessful attempt in trying to look down to see her baby boy, she instead looked up meeting Bianca's happy, tearful eyes with her own.

"How is he?" Maggie asked anxiously.

"Ten fingers and ten toes," Julia said out loud. "He's a healthy baby boy."

Maggie smiled, her heart swelling with love and joy as she heard her little boy take his first breath and let out a cry. Bianca laughed; the tears were still streaming down her face. Looking down at Maggie, she spoke into her ear, "He looks just like you." She wiped away the tears on Maggie's face and then her own.

Julia handed a pair of scissors to Bianca, "Would you like to do the honors?"

Bianca looked down at Maggie unsure of whether or not it was okay. It was only then when Maggie nodded that she felt her confidence return as she reached over with the scissors and clipped the umbilical cord. Soon, Maggie would feel the miracle of life in her own arms. A nurse walked over to Julia handed her a powder blue blanket and she carefully wrapped the newborn baby boy with it, slowly making her way over to Maggie.

Maggie marveled at the sight of her son as he was being handed to her. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she took in each and every inch of her baby boy. He had a full head of sandy blonde hair and what looked like to be Maggie's nose. The sight made Maggie breathe a sigh of relief, noticing how there wasn't a trace of Jonathan in his face.

"Hey Little Man," Maggie said gently. "You're here. Welcome to the world. I'm your mommy."

The baby boy looked up at Maggie, almost like he was looking into her eyes with his own. His cries soon calmed, realizing that he was safe in his mother's arms.

"Yes, that's right. You don't have to cry," she smiled. A few tears escaped from her eyes. "I'm your Mommy and I want you to meet Bianca." Maggie looked up at her soul mate before looking back down at her son. "She's your…other mommy," she turned her head up to Bianca again with a hopeful look on her face. "If that's okay with you?

Tears streamed down Bianca's face, unable to fathom a response to Maggie's question. She simply nodded her head, leaning closer to Maggie as she took in the sight of baby boy Stone. She beamed with happiness noticing how content Maggie was at the moment. Watching the mother and child, it brought her back to when Miranda was born and those precious moments she got to spend with her then.

"I'm sorry to spring that on you so suddenly," Maggie cradled her little boy. "I was going to talk to you about it sometime this week but as you can see," looking down at the precious bundle in her arms, "he just couldn't wait."

"Oh Maggie, you didn't even have to ask. It just like how I consider you to be as much Miranda's mommy as I am."

"We've got a little family now don't we?"

"And a cute one too," Bianca touched the baby boy's soft skin with her finger. "He's so adorable."

"That he is."

Julia came back into the room and smiled, "Such a sweet family we've got here."

"Miranda is going to be thrilled," Bianca beamed. She looked at Maggie again, "So, what's his name?"

Maggie leaned down slowly and kissed her son's forehead. With a smile on her face, she brought her gaze up to her girlfriend, "Bianca, meet our son, Christian Francis Stone."

"Oh my God…" Bianca covered her mouth with surprise. "You mean…"

Maggie nodded, confirming her girlfriend's assumption. She could tell that the name she chose was definitely receiving Bianca's approval.

"We can call him Frankie," Maggie smiled.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

"Christian Francis?" Bianca asked, overwhelmed by the name. She saw Maggie nod her head again. "Frankie?"

"Yes," Maggie smiled. She was still cradling him in her arms. "You like it?"

Bianca leaned down and kissed Maggie's forehead. "I love it," she said with approval.

Julia stood by, watching both girls revel in the joy that was the miracle of life. It warmed her heart seeing the happiness on their faces, a feeling that weighed out any exhaustion they had been feeling during the past couple of hours. Reluctant to cut in on the joyous moment, she stepped forward, "I hate to interrupt the family bonding we have going on but I need to take your little boy to get cleaned up. You know, the norm… measure him, weight, and all that good stuff. Plus we just need to do a quick check up on you also Maggie."

"Okay," Maggie slowly handed Frankie over to Julia. "I'll see you soon baby." She watched Julia hold her son, knowing that he was in good hands. "You won't be long, will you?"

"I promise to bring him right back."

"Alright," she watched Julia and the nurse leave the room. Another nurse came in right after which meant this was a sign for Bianca to exit temporarily.

"I'm going to tell Jamie and Erin that you're okay and that your boy is okay too," she brushed some hair away from Maggie's face and kissed her on the cheek. "I won't be long."

"Hurry back."

"I will."

* * *

"I wonder what's going on," Jamie and Erin were playing catch with crumpled up ball of paper. "You think Maggie is still in labor?"

"Maybe," Erin tossed the ball of paper back to him. "It's been said that some women are in labor for hours, several hours."

"Whoa," he said followed by a whistle. He tossed the ball of paper back to Erin. "So you're saying that maybe she's still in there trying to have the baby?"

"Yup."

"Does it hurt?"

"What do you think?" she watched him contemplate his answer.

Jamie mumbled under his breath, "I'm glad I'm not a woman," he was hit in the head with the ball of paper. "What?"

"You. You are such a typical guy," she rolled her eyes and laughed.

They continued to toss the paper ball for another minute, ceasing when Bianca came into the waiting room. Both of them stood up with anticipation, hoping she had news for them.

"Well?" Jamie spoke first. He draped his arms over Erin who was standing in front of him.

"A healthy baby boy," Bianca announced like any proud parent would. "No complications."

Erin and Jamie both smiled with delight. They went over and hugged Bianca, sharing in the obvious joy that was surrounding their lives. It indeed was a special day for each of them.

Jamie pulled away first. He had a look of curiosity on his face and Bianca caught onto it right away. Immediately, he asked, "So… the name?"

Bianca knew he was going to ask sooner or later. Still wearing a smile, she said the name in her head before saying it out loud. "Christian Francis Stone."

"Wow," Jamie replied, his mouth still wide open. "How did you two ever come up with that?"

"Maggie's idea, not mine. We initially had a whole different name picked but I guess she came up with something better. I love it, if I must say."

Erin's heart sank initially when she heard Bianca say the baby's name. It was no mistake that she had a little bit of hope Maggie's son would carry the Lavery name. But the more she thought about it, she understood why he didn't have her surname. Erin knew Maggie wanted a fresh beginning not a reminder of her past.

"Christian Francis, it's definitely different. Chris makes for a nice nickname," Erin leaned back into Jamie's embrace.

"Actually, we're going to call him Frankie," Bianca corrected.

"Oh?"

"Frankie was her sister's nickname, short for Mary Frances.

Jamie laughed, "Maggie really thought this one out huh?"

"It's got a lot of meaning behind it, yes," she nodded.

"It's perfect," Erin spoke. "So when can I see my nephew?"

Bianca looked up at the clock. "I promised Maggie I'd be back by now. You guys can come visit whenever. But before you do that, think you both can do us a favor?"

"Anything Bianca," Jamie replied. "What can we do?"

"Make some calls? You know…David, Kendall, whoever is in our little circle. If you can check on Miranda for me too?"

Jamie nodded, pulling out his cell phone from his pocket. "Consider it done. And oh! David is actually on his way here."

"He is?"

"Yeah, something about attending a conference this week. When I told him the news, he decided to get an early start. I'm guessing he should be here soon since we spoke a few hours ago."

"Good. Okay, I'm going to get back to Maggie. You'll make those calls for me?" Bianca turned toward the door.

"Yes," Erin answered for Jamie. "Go back to your girl."

"Thanks," Bianca walked out of the waiting room and gleefully made her way back to Maggie.

Right after she left the room, David came in from the opposite end of the hallway. He came face to face with Jamie, wearing the same look Jamie had just a few minutes ago.

"Has it happened yet? Did she give birth?" David stood anxiously.

"Yes she did. Christian Francis Stone," Jamie informed him. "Congratulations, you have a new baby cousin."

"She named him after Frankie." David took note of the baby's namesake. "Where are they now?"

Erin took the liberty of answering David's query as Jamie stepped aside to a corner of the room. He was making the calls Bianca directed him to make while she filled David in on the details. "So yeah, Bianca said we could go see them anytime. But I think we should give them some bonding time first. Why don't the three of us go grab some coffee or something?"

David was surprised with Erin's forwardness. He still had his reservations about her since she was in fact Jonathan's younger sister but after a long and reasoned chat with Maggie, he decided to give the younger Lavery a chance. If anything, he did it for Maggie's sake.

"Sure, why not. I'll take up you on that offer," David raked his fingers through his hair. "I could use some sustenance."

"Alright then. We'll just wait for Jamie to finish making those calls and then we can go."

* * *

Bianca returned to Maggie's room quickly apologizing for taking longer than anticipated. Entering the room, she found Maggie sitting up in bed, once again holding her son in her arms. The sight itself made Bianca's heart swell with so much love, especially when she saw the adoring gaze that Maggie had in her eyes.

"I'm back," she spoke up. "Sorry I took so long. I see your Little Man is back."

Maggie looked up at Bianca. "Yup, he just finished his first meal," she shifted over a little in bed making room for her. "Come over here and sit beside me."

Bianca didn't hesitate and went over to Maggie. She sat down and placed her index finger in Frankie's palm. Right away, he wrapped his tiny fingers around it. "Whoa, we've got a strong boy here, already taking after his mommy. He's perfect Mags, each and every inch of him."

"I still can't believe that I'm holding my own child in my arms."

"It's such a surreal feeling huh?"

"Yeah," she sighed happily. "Did you feel the same way when you held Miranda for the first time?"

Bianca sat back, her eyes glossed as she reflected back on the moment when Miranda was placed in her arms. "It's a feeling that you really can't put to words. I mean, you look down at your baby and then you realize that this person you're holding is a part of you, a piece of your heart." She looked down at Frankie, "And then it just hits you. That feeling, the one where words can't even begin to describe."

Maggie couldn't take her eyes off of Frankie. "I love him so much," she spoke softly.

"I know you do. I can see it in your eyes," Bianca gently caressed the top of his head.

"Do you want to hold him?"

Bianca smiled gleefully, "Of course I do." She carefully took Frankie from Maggie's arms and cradled him close. "Christian Francis. How did you ever come up with that combo?"

"You mean, how did I go from Brendan Nikolas to Christian Francis?" Maggie leaned her head on Bianca's shoulder. "I had this dream one night."

"Yeah, you were telling me," Bianca's eyes were affixed on Frankie's tiny features. She couldn't help but notice his eyes. It was probably a little too early to assume, but he definitely had Maggie's eyes. "You dreamt about your sister, didn't you?"

"The night after we took that walk in the park, I had a dream. My sister and I were sitting somewhere and she told me how happy she was that you and I finally got things right. That we're finally together, said it took us long enough."

"Definitely something Frankie would say. What else happened in this dream of yours?"

"She said that the four of us, you, me, Miranda and little Frankie make the perfect family. That was the first time I ever saw her in any of my dreams. It just felt so real."

"Well, even from the great beyond, your sister knows how to have a lasting effect on us," Bianca laughed. "So, how are you?"

Maggie yawned, "I'm okay. A little tired but okay."

"Why don't you get some sleep? You could use the rest," Bianca suggested. She cooed at Frankie and made a funny face at him. "I'm not going anywhere and neither is he."

Maggie snuggled closer to Bianca, still leaning her head against her. Another yawn escaped this time making it clear how tired she was. Within a minute, Maggie gave in to her exhaustion and fell asleep. She was still snuggled close to Bianca's body, her head resting against her.

It wasn't until Bianca felt some drooling on her shirt sleeve that she realized Maggie had fallen asleep. Slowly moving from the bed, she carefully stood up while holding Frankie in her arms. Bianca walked over to the couch that was by the window and sat down. She gazed at Maggie's son, still amazed at how much he resembled her.

Bianca sat back on the couch, Frankie looking up at her almost like he was taking in her appearance. It was at this time that Bianca took the opportunity to formally introduce herself to him.

"Hey Frankie or should I say, 'Little Man' since your mommy has grown accustomed to calling you that already. Like she said before, I'm Bianca and it seems that you've now become the light of your mommy's life," she glanced up at Maggie quickly, a tear escaping from her eye. "Your mom has had a pretty rough beginning of the year but now that you're in her life, I am sure that things will get better. You see Frankie," she spoke with a whisper. "You could very well be that extra light she needs to pull her out of that darkness that she's been in for the longest time. I know I've done my part but I think you're the finishing touch to it all."

The smile on Bianca's face made her cheeks hurt as tried to remember the last time she ever felt such a warm euphoria. Holding new life in her arms reminded her of Miranda and how she too was blessed to have her own little miracle of life. Frankie gurgled at Bianca, drawing her back to the present. She gathered her thoughts once again, "There are a lot of people in this world that love you so much already. You'll get to meet them soon but for now, I just want you to know that I love you and will always be there in your life when you need me. I made that promise to your mommy and now I'm making the same to you, Little Man."

Frankie was still looking up at Bianca when a tiny yawn escaped from his mouth. He fidgeted in her arms for a moment and then closed his eyes, drifting to sleep. Bianca spotted David entering the room. She motioned for him to be quiet, making it known to him that both Maggie and little Frankie were asleep.

"Hi," he walked over to Bianca. "Is this the newest addition to the family?"

"Yes he is. David, meet Christian Francis Stone. Maggie wants to call him Frankie."

David smiled at the newborn child and asked to hold him.

"Sure, of course you can," she replied.

David carefully took the baby boy from Bianca's arms and held him close. He couldn't help but smile down at him, cooing softly and marveling at his little features. "The little guy has Maggie's eyes," he said in a hushed tone.

"I was thinking the same thing before. They're just like Maggie's," Bianca's own eyes wandered over toward Maggie. Her eyes were still closed and her breathing was steady, a sure sign that she was definitely out cold for the time being. "I personally love the fact that he's got a full head of hair."

"That's right, he does," David finally noticed the sandy blonde hair on Frankie's head. "Wow, he's just so perfect. I bet Maggie is in love with this little boy already."

"Oh, I think they've bonded," Bianca laughed softly. She watched David place Frankie down in his bassinet and then went over to sit on the couch where she joined him. "Where are Jamie and Erin?"

"They went home for a shower and maybe a little more sleep. From what I heard, you guys have been here since very early this morning," still speaking softly. The last thing he wanted was for Maggie to wake up because of the noise. "How are you doing though? You must be tired."

"Actually, I'm not as tired as I thought I would be. But I know it'll hit me later, especially when Miranda will want to play. That's when I'll probably want to be sleeping."

"So who's keeping an eye on her right now?"

"Kendall, Ethan and I'm guessing Greenlee too."

"She's in fine hands then."

"Oh yeah," Bianca imagined what her daughter was doing at the moment. "Especially since she's an early riser while Lucy and Ethel… I mean Kendall and Greenlee were up most of the night having fun with strawberries and whipped cream in the kitchen."

David raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry, come again?"

"Before we all left to take Maggie here, I found my sister and Greenlee with a mess of whipped cream and strawberries. I didn't bother to ask for an explanation. In fact, I don't even want to know what they were doing."

"Sounds interesting," his gaze wandered over to Frankie asleep in his bassinet. "So how's Maggie doing?"

"She's happy, make that more than happy. You should have seen the look in her eyes when Julia handed Frankie to her. It was just sheer awe." Bianca's eyes focused on Maggie as she spoke. "And then when she finally held her baby boy in her arms, I saw the darkness finally lift from Maggie's eyes. For the first time in a long while, she looked complete. I think this baby right here is what ultimately brings her out of the darkness she was trapped in earlier this year." She turned to David, "Remember when you said that my baby would be the one thing that would give me hope in my life?"

"Yes, of course," David nodded.

"Well, Frankie is Maggie's little beacon of hope."

* * *

Jamie walked through the front door of the house and placed his keys on the table. Ethan and Miranda came into the living room, the little girl eagerly running over to Jamie looking to be picked up. "Hey munchkin," he lifted her off the ground and spun her around eliciting a fit of giggles from her.

"Momma?" Miranda asked him, her eyes were scanning the room for any sight of Bianca. "Momma?"

Jamie carried her to the couch, "Momma is still at the hospital with Maggie. But she'll be home soon." He watched her reaction, waiting to see if she'd start crying. Surprisingly, she didn't which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

Kendall and Greenlee came out of the kitchen. They didn't waste any time in pulling the news out of Jamie. Jamie on the other hand let out a huge yawn and in the process was ambushed by Miranda's fist almost making its way into his mouth. "Whoa there," he stopped her little hand.

"Here, let me take her. You look tired," Kendall reached for Miranda. "Come to Auntie Kendall. Now, no sticking your little hands inside of Uncle Jamie's mouth," she eagerly turned her attention back to Jamie. "Okay Martin, tell us. How's Maggie, the baby? What's his name?"

Jamie filled everyone in on what he knew. Since he didn't have the opportunity to see Maggie or the baby, he didn't really have much to report except for what Bianca told him. "I think Bianca said that they were going to call him Frankie since his middle name is Francis."

"So you haven't seen him or Maggie yet?" Greenlee asked.

"Nope," Jamie shook his head and yawned again. "David came and then Erin and I went out to breakfast with him. I think he's with them now."

"Wait, David is in town?" Greenlee was caught off guard. She wasn't expecting him until later in the week. "Did he say why he was here so early?"

Jamie stood up from the couch, determined to make his way upstairs for a shower and nap. "He said something about a conference. I told him about Maggie and he decided to come a few days early. I don't know anything else. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to get clean and grab some sleep." He walked up the staircase and disappeared into his room.

"So… anyone want to take a trip to see little Frankie?" Kendall grinned.

* * *

Erin entered her apartment and closed the door behind her. Tossing her keys on the kitchen table, she grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and walked over to her answering machine to check her messages. Noticing that there were none she kicked off her sneakers and went into the living room. Upon entering she was given the shock of her life when she saw who was there sitting on her couch.

"What the!?" she jumped back knocking over a pile of books on the floor. "How the hell did you get in here?"

"Hey Erin," he smiled mischievously. "Long time no see."


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Erin stood wide-eyed in her living room. The initial shock of finding Jonathan sitting on her couch was beginning to wear off but one question still remained. "I asked you. How did you get in here?"

"You really need to be careful with who you trust these days little sis," Jonathan got up from the couch and pulled a spare key out of his pocket. He placed it on the coffee table. "Mr. Carnes, over in 1C…he sure was eager to help me out. Well, after I told him that I was your loving older brother and you were expecting me for a visit. He gave me the spare key so I figured that I'd let myself in and wait until you came home." Jonathan held out his arms, "So… come here and give big brother a hug!"

Erin reluctantly walked over and hugged him. She pulled away and looked up at his face. "You're growing your hair out again," touching his blonde hair. "Getting tired of keeping it short?"

"I needed a change. I wanted see what it looks like if I grew it out again," he looked at her questioningly. "Why? You don't like it?"

"It's fine. I mean, whatever works for you," Erin answered indifferently. She went into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. She heaved a deep sigh, feeling slightly uneasy about Jonathan's presence, especially with what occurred in the last several hours. "I really wish you had called first Jon. Not that I don't want you here."

"But I did," he entered the kitchen. "You didn't pick up so I left you a voicemail saying that I was on my way."

Erin picked up her cell phone and checked it. Jonathan did in fact leave her a voicemail, taking note of the tiny envelope icon on her screen. "I guess you did," she pushed her phone back into her pocket and nervously smiled.

Jonathan stood across from Erin. He could tell off the bat how uneasy his sister looked and it made him wonder why. "What's going on? You don't look okay," moving closer to her, "you look like you've been out all night."

"I'm fine," she pushed his hand away. "Jonathan… not that I mind that you're here but you chose to visit at a really bad time. I know I said back in June that you could come and stay in August but it's just that…"

"Hey, say no more. I've got a buddy here in the city that I can crash with."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. And if that falls through I can always head back to Pine Valley. It's not that far."

"Whatever works for you," she turned for the living room. She bent down and fixed the books that were on her floor.

Jonathan followed, carrying a bottle of water. He leaned against the wall and watched his sister, "So, how's that boyfriend of yours?"

"He's great," she didn't look up.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he's such a sweetheart."

After taking a large sip of water, he swallowed and cleared his throat. "The next time you see Jamie, make sure you tell him 'hi' for me," he grinned mischievously knowing that he had her trapped.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she didn't look up. As she continued to pile the books, she wondered how Jonathan knew that Jamie was her boyfriend. "His name isn't Jamie."

"Erin, you don't have to lie to me. I know you're dating Jamie Martin."

"Why are you here?" her tone of voice changed.

"I'm here because I need your help. I want to find Maggie and my son."

Erin shook her head, "I'm sorry Jonathan but I can't help you. Not after what you did."

"Oh so you believe them over me? Erin, I am your brother. It's me, Jonathan," he tried to remain calm.

"I'm sorry. I'm not going to help you," she turned and faced the window.

Jonathan walked over to Erin. He stood behind her and pleaded, "You have to believe me."

"Kendall told me EVERYTHING," she turned around, her eyes meeting his. It was quite obvious that she didn't plan on backing down. She managed to keep her self control, not losing her temper with him.

"Kendall Hart is a self-serving, conniving bitch. That's what she is," he seethed. "And you of all people believe her?"

"You've changed. You carry so much hurt and anger and I think you need to seek some professional help."

Jonathan grunted. He could tell that his visit was getting him nowhere. Grabbing his car keys, he made his way to the door. "You know what, forget that I even came. I'll figure out another way to get what I need."

Erin was standing behind the couch as she watched him leave. Part of her was angry at him for the way he was trying to manipulate her while another part felt a small bit of compassion because he was her brother.

"Jonathan!" she called out. It was too late, the door slammed shut. She yanked out her cell phone and hit a number on her speed dial. After no more than three rings, he picked up.

"He's here. Jonathan is here in New York and he's not happy."

* * *

"Knock knock," Kendall pushed the door open slowly and stuck her head inside the room. "Are you up for some visitors?"

Maggie smiled upon seeing who was standing at the door. "Of course! Come on in," she welcomed everyone inside. "Look Frankie, you have some visitors." She said to her son as Kendall, Greenlee and Ethan, who had Miranda perched on his shoulders, come into the room. "Everyone, I want you to meet Christian Francis Stone."

Greenlee beamed with contentment at the sight of Frankie. "He looks so cute," she reached out to touch his soft skin. "Maggie, he's perfect."

"I've been told," Maggie rocked him gently in her arms. She noticed he was fidgeting a bit most likely due to the added noise in the room. "You all might need to quiet down just a little. He's probably not used to all this noise yet." She looked down at Frankie and spoke softly, "I'm sorry Little Man. They're all just excited to see you."

Kendall and Greenlee watched Maggie with amazement. Both of them stood with sheer awe in their eyes seeing how somewhat different she was now that Frankie was born. They definitely could see that the light in her eyes had returned. Their stares were met by Maggie who was looking back at them with one eyebrow raised, a moment that caused the three of them to laugh.

"What's going on? Why are you both looking at me that way?" Maggie asked.

"It's just… it's…" Kendall stuttered, trying to find the right words.

"What she means is that you look," Greenlee walked over to Maggie and stood beside her bed. "You look really happy kiddo."

"Thanks. I feel happy. But I'd feel even happier if Bianca would hurry back with what I asked her for," Maggie hoped to see her girlfriend come strolling through the door. "I'm starved."

"Is the hospital food not cutting it for you?" Ethan asked from the couch. He was bouncing Miranda on his knee, an attempt to keep the little girl entertained as she searched for her mommy who wasn't in the room.

Not even a minute after Maggie mentioned Bianca, the brunette came in touting two white paper bags in her hand. She was met with smiles all around, not expecting to have company so soon. Miranda struggled from Ethan's embrace and toddled over to her mother, excited to see her.

"Momma! Momma!" she ran to Bianca. "Momma, up!" giggling while stretching her arms out. "Up!"

Bianca placed the bags down on the table and picked up her daughter. She kissed her on the cheek, "Hi sweetheart. I hear you've been looking for me."

"Oh yeah, since this morning," Ethan answered. "She's been looking for you everywhere in the house, going into every room and saying 'Momma' over and over."

"Yeah, the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen," Greenlee added.

Bianca laughed, "I'm sorry Miranda. I didn't realize how much you missed me today." She looked into her daughter's eyes. "I bet you didn't take your nap yet huh?" she asked, noticing the small yawn that came from Miranda. She felt the baby girl place head on her shoulder and soon enough was sound asleep.

"Wow, how did you do that?" Kendall stood amazed. "We've been trying to get her to nap all afternoon."

"It's called a mother's touch," Bianca said, her gaze geared in Maggie's direction. "Right Mags?"

"Yup," she agreed. She noticed how close Greenlee was standing near her and asked if she wanted to hold Frankie. Without a thought, she accepted the offer and slowly took him from Maggie's arms.

"Hello there you handsome little boy," Greenlee looked at Maggie and then back down at Frankie. "Has anyone told you that he's got your eyes?"

"That seems to be the common thought lately," Bianca sat at the corner of the bed, still holding a sleeping Miranda. "David seems to think the same thing."

"Speaking of… Do you know where he went?"

"Is there a reason you're looking for him Greenlee?" Kendall sensed the urgency in her friend's voice.

Greenlee kissed Frankie on the forehead and then handed him back to Maggie. She turned her attention to Kendall and answered, "No reason, there's just something I need to talk to him about."

"Is everything okay?" Bianca shared the same sentiment as her sister.

"Yes, everything is okay," Greenlee reassured them. In reality, for her, nothing was going right; in fact everything was going wrong. Her reason for searching David out was in hopes that he had some semblance of good news for her. "I'm fine."

Kendall knew to back off when she heard the defensive tone in her friend's voice. Something was going on and she could tell it was serious. Deciding that it wasn't the best time to approach her with concern, she made the mental note to touch upon the subject when the time was right.

They continued to chat for a little longer exchanging a few laughs here and there. Maggie yawned a couple of times which didn't go unnoticed by everyone. Taking it as a sign that it was time to go, Kendall, Greenlee and Ethan grabbed their belongings and said their good night's to Maggie and Frankie.

"Bianca, I can take Miranda home if you want to stay here," Kendall reached out for her niece.

"No, it's okay. I'm actually going to leave with you guys," Bianca turned toward Maggie. "If it's okay with you I mean. I just want to bring Miranda home and put her in bed. I spoke with Julia and she got clearance for me to spend the night here with you."

"You don't have to come back if you're tired," Maggie replied. "I'll be okay here. After all, I've got the little guy here to keep me company."

Bianca walked over to Maggie and leaned down to kiss her. "I'm coming back. I don't want to leave you here alone," she didn't let her reply. "Nope, don't fight me on this. I'm not spending one night without you. So like I said before, I'm just going to bring Miranda back home, put her in bed and then come back here."

Maggie was still too exhausted to fight Bianca. She simply smiled and nodded, "Well, I'll be right here waiting when you get back."

"I won't be long, I promise."

"Bianca?" she caught her before reaching the door.

"Yeah?"

"I love you," Maggie smiled.

"I love you too," she exited Maggie's room with Miranda in her arms and found only Kendall and Ethan standing outside. "Where did Greenlee go?"

"She got a call from David. I think they're meeting for a late dinner or something." Ethan draped his arm around Kendall. "She'll meet us back at the house later."

"Is Greenlee okay? Kendall, has she told you anything?"

"Not that I know of Binks."

"Well, something seems to be going on with her. I can sense it," Bianca began walking down the hallway, Kendall and Ethan alongside her. "And somehow, whatever I'm sensing, it's not as simple as she makes it out to be."

* * *

Greenlee easily found the diner that David told her he would be at. Walking inside, she immediately found David sitting inside on the booths. She made her way over and sat down across from him. They exchanged looks of concern as they sat across from each other, neither one saying a word.

David was the first to break the silence. "You've been coming to New York a lot lately," he scanned the menu, waiting for an answer.

"So I have," she replied. "I need to get away from Pine Valley every now and then."

"You mean get away from your husband, the one who doesn't seem to be listening to anyone right now."

She sat silent. David's words struck a chord inside of her, especially with the mention of Ryan. Greenlee's gaze avoided his, her eyes almost echoing a different emotion than what the rest of her face was saying.

"I'm leaving Ryan. The reason why I've been here more often than usual is so that I can find my own place to live."

David's jaw dropped at this recent revelation. He didn't know whether to be happy or to feel sorry for her. Either way, Greenlee's decision was a serious one and not to be taken lightly.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

"What caused you to see the light?"

"Jonathan. I'm not going to stay around and watch Ryan get pulled further and further into his brother's hell. No matter how many times I've told Ryan that his brother is one big nut bar, it still won't change the fact that he wants to save him. So you know what, I'll give him a wake up call from me, especially if he wants this marriage to survive."

* * *

Maggie hummed a sweet melody to Frankie as she rocked him in her arms. She still couldn't take her eyes off him, her heart swelling ten times over with love. She saw how he was looking up at her, as if taking in her appearance, attentive to her every move.

"Hi there my Little Man," she tilted her head slightly and smiled down at him. "I'm sorry about all the noise earlier. Everyone was just a little excited to meet you. I don't know if you know this but you're already a celebrity in our house. And if I'm not mistaken, your Uncle Jamie custom made a room for you with his bare hands. Yeah, I know," she rolled her eyes and laughed. "I can't believe it either and I was only shown the room yesterday." Maggie stopped to gather her thoughts. "My little boy," she sighed happily. "I still can't believe you're my little boy. I'm sorry if I keep saying that but it's just that… I love you so much."

Frankie gurgled at Maggie, almost as if he was giving her a sign that he was listening. Maggie felt a warm trail of tears streaming down her cheek as she continued to talk to her son. "This whole year has been such a roller coaster of sorts for me. There was one point when I didn't know up from down, right from wrong, inside from out. But somehow, with the love of people who cared about me, I managed to find a way out." Swiping away the tears on her cheek, she smiled down at Frankie, "I want you to know that I'll always love you. No matter if you're one or ten or thirty, I will always love you. No matter how scary the world gets or how messed up you think your life is, I want you to know that Mommy is going to be there to help you. I will never ever lie to you or walk away and no matter what anyone says, Mommy will always be proud of you. And even when you're all grown up, I will still love you because you are my son and the most amazing gift that God has ever given me."

Maggie leaned back against the pillows and rested Frankie against her body. She stroked the top of his head gently and began humming a soft melody. It wasn't much longer until her humming transitioned into a melody, her voice singing a sweet song.

_As you lay sleeping on my chest_

_A million thoughts run through my head_

_Someday you'll think that you're too big to hold_

_You'll spill milk on my favorite dress_

_Fall down and scare me to death_

_And you'll refuse to do anything you're told_

_And I'll be so mad that I'm almost in tears_

_And you'll smile that smile and they'll all disappear_

_Yes sometimes you'll hide your perfect wings_

_But through these eyes all I'll ever see_

_Is that sweet angel of mine_

Maggie held Frankie close, her hand now gently rubbing his back. Frankie was once again fast asleep.

_I won't be ready for first grade_

_Or when you go on your first date_

_And you'll think that I just don't understand_

_And I know there'll come a day_

_When you start to push me away_

_And I'll feel like I'm losing my best friend_

_So when you want to be out on your own_

_Forgive me if I find it hard to let go_

_Yeah someday you'll spread your perfect wings_

_But no matter where you'll fly you'll always be_

_That sweet angel of mine_

"I love you Little Man," she whispered as she placed him down his bassinet, kissing his forehead. "Sweet dreams."


End file.
